Trigeminal Neuralgia in Children

Trigeminal neuralgia in children, which is also known as tic douloureux, is a rare nerve disorder that causes recurring bouts of extreme facial pain. It is a condition that is more common in females than males and in people over age 50, although children have been diagnosed with this condition. Symptoms are brought on by normal everyday activities. There are many different causes for this condition, but fortunately there are treatments available.

Symptoms

• Symptoms for trigeminal neuralgia include sharp, stabbing or shooting pains across the face and forehead. The pain is typically only on one side of the face and lasts from a few seconds to a several minutes, repeating many times per day and continuing on for days or weeks. Your child may suddenly be symptom free for weeks or months.

  According to the Mayo Clinic, many sufferers recognize the triggers for trigeminal neuralgia, which includes activities such as smiling or brushing the hair or teeth, eating, drinking and even standing outside in a breeze. Sometimes chewing can even bring on the condition.

Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia

• Facial Neuralgia Resources says that there are many causes of trigeminal neuralgia, including pressure from a blood vessel or tumor on the trigeminal nerve or damage to the nerve from previous dental surgery. Sometimes the cause is unknown, and there is even some speculation that the condition is hereditary. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke believes that while the condition itself is not hereditary, the blood vessel patterns are and this contributes to relatives having the disorder.

Diagnosis

• To diagnose trigeminal neuralgia, your doctor will want to know where the pain is located, the frequency and severity, as well as any special characteristics of it. It is quite possible that your doctor will want your child to have a magnetic resonance imaging scan, or MRI, to look for other causes of the pain or to see if the trigeminal neuralgia is caused from multiple sclerosis or from a tumor.

Treatment-Medication

• There are five types of medications used in the treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. They are anticonvulsants, antidepressants, anti-spasticity agents and painkillers. The drug of choice and first line of defense is Tegretol, which is an anticonvulsant.

  If your child's condition does not respond to medication or if you find that there are severe side effects, surgery may be the best option.

Treatment-Surgical Procedures

• According to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, there are many surgical techniques that can be used to reduce trigeminal neuralgia. The majority of the techniques involve damaging or blocking the function of the trigeminal nerve. They include the injection of alcohol directly into the trigeminal nerve to block the pain signal. Others include percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency thermal rhizotomy (PSRTR), which is a special procedure that damages the root of the trigeminal nerve by sending an electric current through it. Another technique is called partial sensory rhizotomy, which involves cutting of the trigeminal nerve to relieve pain.