Introduction:

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by a sudden onset of high-intensity pain triggered by some innocuous stimuli. However, in some cases, it may have atypical manifestations that make diagnosis more difficult.

Case description:

This case reports a 77-year-old woman with dull pain in the upper right jaw that motivated multiple visits to health institutions. The patient underwent several courses of antibiotics and a tooth extraction due to suspicion of dental pathology. Subsequently, the pain evolved to a typical pattern of trigeminal neuralgia and this diagnosis was established. Pain management with carbamazepine was started and the study of secondary causes was initiated resulting in the identification of a meningioma in the right trigeminal path.

Comment:

The atypical manifestations of trigeminal neuralgia can lead to a misdiagnosis of this pathology and for this reason a high clinical suspicion is important. The symptomatic therapy should be initiated at the time of the diagnosis and an investigation of secondary causes should be performed.

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