disorder involving the trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve), which supplies sensation to the face. It’s often called one of the most severe pains humans experience.
🔹 What it feels like
Patients typically describe the pain as:
⚡ Sudden, electric-shock–like
🔥 Stabbing / shooting / burning
Very intense but short-lasting (seconds to 1–2 minutes)
Occurs in paroxysms with pain-free intervals
🔹 Nerve divisions involved
The trigeminal nerve has three branches:
V1 – Ophthalmic
Forehead, scalp, eye, upper eyelid
Pain around eye, supraorbital region
No jaw pain
V2 – Maxillary (most common)
Cheek, upper lip, maxillary teeth, nose
Pain may mimic toothache or sinus pain
V3 – Mandibular
Lower jaw, lower teeth, chin, ear
Pain while chewing or talking
👉 TN most commonly affects V2 and V3; V1 involvement is less common.
🔹 Characteristic features (very important)
Unilateral pain (almost always one side)
Triggered by light stimuli:
Touching face
Washing face
Brushing teeth
Chewing, talking, cold air
Trigger zones present
No sensory loss in classical TN
Patient may freeze in fear of triggering pain (tic douloureux)
🔹 Causes
Classical TN: vascular compression (usually superior cerebellar artery)
Secondary TN:
Multiple sclerosis (especially in younger patients)
Tumors (CPA tumors)
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Trauma
