Persistent idiopathic facial pain: a prospective systematic study of clinical characteristics and neuroanatomical findings at 3.0 Tesla MRI

Stine Maarbjerg*, Frauke Wolfram, Tone Bruvik Heinskou, Per Rochat, Aydin Gozalov, Jannick Brennum, Jes Olesen, Lars Bendtsen

*Corresponding author for this work
10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Introduction: Persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) is a poorly understood chronic orofacial pain disorder and a differential diagnosis to trigeminal neuralgia. To address the lack of systematic studies in PIFP we here report clinical characteristics and neuroimaging findings in PIFP. Methods: Data collection was prospective and standardized in consecutive PIFP patients. All patients underwent 3.0 MRI. Results: In a cohort of 53 PIFP patients, the average age of onset was 44.1 years. PIFP was found in more women 40 (75%) than men 13 (25%), p < 0.001. There was a high prevalence of bilateral pain 7 (13%), hypoesthesia 23 (48%), depression 16 (30%) and other chronic pain conditions 17 (32%) and a low prevalence of stabbing pain 21 (40%), touch-evoked pain 14 (26%) and remission periods 10 (19%). The odds ratio between neurovascular contact and the painful side was 1.4 (95% Cl 0.4–4.4, p = 0.565) and the odds ratio between neurovascular contact with displacement of the trigeminal nerve and the painful side was 0.2 (95% Cl 0.0–2.1, p = 0.195). Conclusion: PIFP is separated from trigeminal neuralgia both with respect to the clinical characteristics and neuroimaging findings, as NVC was not associated to PIFP.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCephalalgia
Volume37
Issue number13
Pages (from-to)1231-1240
Number of pages10
ISSN0333-1024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • atypical facial pain
  • clinical characteristics
  • neuroimaging
  • orofacial pain
  • Persistent idiopathic facial pain

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