Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain

Korean Academy of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine (대한안면통증구강내과학회)
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Maxillary Sinusitis Resembling Trigeminal Neuralgia

  • Ahn, Hyung-Joon (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Hong, Yoo Ree (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Kim, Sora (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Kim, Bok Eum (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Park, YounJung (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Kwon, Jeong-Seung (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Kim, Seong-Taek (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry) ;
  • Choi, Jong-Hoon (Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Dental Hospital of Yonsei University College of Dentistry)
  • Received : 2022.06.17
  • Accepted : 2022.07.05
  • Published : 2022.09.30
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Abstract

Chronic maxillary sinusitis is a common disease, with symptoms of dull, aching pain or pressure below the eyes and signs such as tenderness over the involved sinus, whereas trigeminal neuralgia is described as severe, paroxysmal, and lancinating brief pain limited in distributions of one or more divisions of trigeminal nerve. In cases where these two non-odontogenic toothache symptoms overlaps, the diagnostic process can be confusing. Here, we report a case of a 54-year-old male patient with chief complaints of intermittent, severe, and electric-like pain in the upper left premolar and first molar area, initially diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia but finally with maxillary sinusitis after pain recurrence 2 years after that. Therefore, thorough history taking and precise imaging interpretation should be considered to make correct diagnose especially in case of a patient with newly developed or altered or atypical symptoms.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIP) (no. 2016R1A5A2008630).

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