44 Headache Medicine, v.3, n.1, p.44, Jan./Feb./Mar. 2012
Trigeminal neuralgia and multiple sclerosis
Neuralgia trigeminal e esclerose múltipla
Marcelo Moraes Valença, Luciana Andrade-Valença
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco – UFPE, Recife, PE, Brazil
Valença MM, Andrade-Valença L. Trigeminal neuralgia and multiple sclerosis.
Headache Medicine. 2012;3(1):44
IMAGE IN HEADACHE MEDICINEIMAGE IN HEADACHE MEDICINE
IMAGE IN HEADACHE MEDICINEIMAGE IN HEADACHE MEDICINE
IMAGE IN HEADACHE MEDICINE
It is estimated that in approximately 15% of the patients the trigeminal neuralgia is secondary to an
intracranial abnormality.
(1)
Thus, all patients must be evaluated with MRI.
(2)
Although a rare association,
trigeminal neuralgia may be caused by multiple sclerosis.
(1-3)
The Figure shows a brain MRI of a 49-year-
old woman with left V3 trigeminal neuralgia caused by multiple sclerosis. The MRI is demonstrating a
demyelinating lesion at the left trigeminal root entry zone (arrow).
Correspondence
Marcelo M. VMarcelo M. V
Marcelo M. VMarcelo M. V
Marcelo M. V
alençaalença
alençaalença
alença
Neurology and Neurosurgery Unit, Universidade Federal de
Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, Brazil
E-mail: mmvalenca@yahoo.com.br
REFERENCES
1. Cruccu G, Bonamico LH, Zakrzewska JM. Cranial neuralgias. Handb Clin Neurol. 2010;97:663-78.
2. Mills RJ, Young CA, Smith ET. Central trigeminal involvement in multiple sclerosis using high-resolution MRI at 3 T. Br J Radiol.
2010;83(990):493-8.
3. De Santi L, Annunziata P. Symptomatic cranial neuralgias in multiple sclerosis: clinical features and treatment. Clin Neurol
Neurosurg. 2012;114(2):101-7. Epub 2011 Nov 29.
Received: 1/5/ 2012
Accepted: 1/20/ 2012
