Buccal neuralgia: a potential cause of facial pain

Abstract

Facial pain can be challenging to diagnose, often point- ing to a myriad of potential sources. Lesions of the termi- nal branches of the trigeminal nerve may lead to localized pain in the innervated region, which can be continuous or intermittent, and sometimes paroxysmal. This pain is often accompanied by hypersensitivity to palpation of the nerve and sensory disturbances within the corresponding territory. Diagnosis of neuralgias or painful neuropathies of the ter- minal trigeminal branches relies on precise localization of the pain and can be confirmed by pain relief following a local anesthetic block. Although many of these condi- tions are well-documented, some have only recently been recognized . The buccal nerve, a terminal branch of the mandibular nerve (V3), provides sensory innervation to the skin over the lower part of the cheek, the buccal mucosa and the buc- cal gingiva of the lower molars. To date, buccal neu- ralgia has not been acknowledged as a distinct cause of pain in the headache literature and is only marginally discussed in dental publications. Here we report a case of facial pain presumably due to neuralgia of the buccal nerve.