Headache Medicine 2021, 12(4):299 p-ISSN 2178-7468, e-ISSN 2763-6178

299

ASAA

DOI: 10.48208/HeadacheMed.2021.49

Headache Medicine

Opinion

What would be the correct translation of the terms "trigeminal

nerve"? Let's use "nervo trigêmeos" or "nervo trigeminal"

Marcelo Moraes Valença

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

mmvalenca@yahoo.com.br

Received: December 15, 2021

Accepted: February 18,2022

For years, a fact that has intrigued me is the translation from English to Portuguese of the

words "trigeminal nerve" or "trigeminal neuralgia".

1-3

We nd "nervo trigêmeo" or "neu-

ralgia do trigêmeo" in many texts. If the fth cranial nerve is called "trigêmeo" because it

has three divisions, similar to the triplets, it should be called "nervo trigêmeos" , as it is not

one of three nerves.

4,5

The word "gêmeo," in the singular, can be used to refer to one of the twins or triplets, as in

the example of "gêmeo hemiacardico"

or "gêmeo parasita"

It would be better to follow the trend in English to use "trigeminal". Even worse is to nd

written "nervo trigêmio".

Another misusage often mentioned by neurologists is placing lateralization on the Portuguese

term "par craniano". It is not "uma paralisia do sétimo par craniano direito" (right seventh

paired cranial nerves), but "uma paralisia do sétimo nervo craniano direito". When speaking

"par craniano", one has the idea of being bilateral.

Refer ences

1. Luo SP, Chen FF, Zhang HW, et al. Trigeminal Nerve White Matter Fiber Abnormalities

in Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Study.

Front Neurol

2021;12:798969

2. Li C, White TG, Shah KA, et al. Percutaneous Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Induces Cerebral

Vasodilation in a Dose-Dependent Manner.

Neurosurgery

2021;88:E529-E536

3. Hammad Y, Mootz A, Klein K, et al. Trigeminal Nerve Repair: Is the Trigeminocardiac Reflex

a Concern?

J Oral Maxillofac Surg

2021;79:2355-2357.

4. Joo W, Yoshioka F, Funaki T, et al. Microsurgical anatomy of the trigeminal nerve.

Clin Anat

2014;27:61-88

5. Wilcox SL, Gustin SM, Eykman EN, et al. Trigeminal nerve anatomy in neuropathic and

non-neuropathic orofacial pain patients.

J Pain

2013;14:865-872

6. Alves JAG, Brasileiro JMF, Campos APA, et al. Diagnóstico pré-natal de um gêmeo

hemiacárdico: relato de caso.

Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet

20:111-113

7. Gêmeo parasita: o que é, porque acontece e o que fazer. In: Saúde T, ed.