Abstract
Background: In this case report, the authors reviewed a rare case of a vestibular schwannoma manifesting as trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Intracranial tumors can have a variety of orofacial pain symptoms. Among benign cerebellopontine angle tumors, vestibular schwannoma is the most common cause of a TN-like manifestation. Although the most common symptoms of a vestibular schwannoma are hearing loss and vestibulopathy, the unique feature of this case was the manifestation of symptoms consistent with TN. Case Description: The patient had right-sided episodic facial pain that was short in duration and severe in intensity. The initial differential diagnoses included short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing and TN. As part of the routine evaluation, the patient was referred for brain magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a right-sided vestibular schwannoma. The patient was prescribed 200 mg of gabapentin 3 times daily and was referred to neurosurgery for excision of the schwannoma. Surgical excision resulted in complete resolution of pain. Practical Implications: This case illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary treatment and how it can lead to an optimal outcome for a patient with complex orofacial pain symptoms.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 177-183 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Dental Association |
| Volume | 155 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2024 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Dentistry
Keywords
- Acoustic neuroma
- SUNCT
- orofacial pain
- trigeminal neuralgia
- vestibular schwannoma