The key difference between typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia is that typical trigeminal neuralgia causes severe, sudden shock-like pain in one side of the face, while atypical trigeminal neuralgia causes a less severe constant burning pain in one side of the face.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain disorder. It is also known as douloureux. This condition involves sudden, severe facial pain. Trigeminal neuralgia affects the trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve that provides feeling and nerve signalling to many parts of the body, including the head and face. There are two forms of trigeminal neuralgia as typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Typical Trigeminal Neuralgia
3. What is Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
4. Similarities – Typical and Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
5. Typical vs Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Typical vs Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
What is Typical Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Typical trigeminal neuralgia is the most common form of trigeminal neuralgia. It causes severe, sudden shock-like pain in one side of the face. Typical trigeminal neuralgia lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. The symptoms of this condition may include unpredictable episodes of stabbing and electric shock-like pain in a consistent location. This pain can be reproduced by touching a trigger point on the face or performing a certain activity like chewing or talking. The severity of this pain makes it difficult to wash the face, shave, or do oral hygienic activities. Therefore, this pain has a significant impact on acidities in the daily routine. It can also lead to severe depression and anxiety. Moreover, in typical trigeminal neuralgia, the pain may affect a small area of the face, or it may spread.
Figure 01: Trigeminal Neuralgia
Typical trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by nerve compression from a tumor, arteriovenous malformation, or an injury to trigeminal neuralgia nerves such as sinus surgery, oral surgery, or facial trauma. This condition can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, neurological examination, and imaging scans like MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for typical trigeminal neuralgia include medications such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, pain relievers, and neurosurgical procedures.
What is Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Atypical trigeminal neuralgia is a less common form of trigeminal neuralgia that causes less severe constant burning pain in one side of the face. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include heavy, aching, stabbing, or burning pain, constant migraine-like headache, and sometimes intense pain in one or in all three trigeminal nerve branches, usually affecting teeth, ears, sinuses, cheeks, forehead, upper and lower jaws, eyes, and scalp. Atypical trigeminal neuralgia is caused by infection, demyelinating diseases, compression of the trigeminal nerve by an impinging vein or artery, tumor dental trauma accidents, or arteriovenous malformation.
Moreover, atypical trigeminal neuralgia is diagnosed by medical history, physical examination, and a positive response to a low dose of tricyclic antidepressant medications. Furthermore, treatment options for atypical trigeminal neuralgia include medications like anti-seizure drugs (carbamazepine), opioids, and surgeries like microvascular decompression, gamma knife radiosurgery, percutaneous rhizotomy, pain stimulant implant,
What are the Similarities Between Typical and Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia?
- Typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia are two forms of trigeminal neuralgia.
- Both forms cause pain in one side of the face.
- They affect the trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve, which provides feeling and nerve signalling to many parts of the body, including the head and face.
- Both forms can be diagnosed through medical history or physical examination.
- They can be treated through specific medications and surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Typical and Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Typical trigeminal neuralgia is a form of trigeminal neuralgia that causes severe, sudden, shock-like pain in one side of the face, while atypical trigeminal neuralgia is a form of trigeminal neuralgia that causes less severe constant burning pain in one side of the face. Thus, this is the key difference between typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, typical trigeminal neuralgia is the most common form of trigeminal neuralgia, while atypical trigeminal neuralgia is a less common form of trigeminal neuralgia.
The below infographic presents the differences between typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Typical vs Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
Typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia are two forms of trigeminal neuralgia. Both these forms cause pain in one side of the face. They affect the trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve which provides feeling and nerve signalling to many parts of the body, including the head and face. Typical trigeminal neuralgia causes severe, sudden shock-like pain in one side of the face. Atypical trigeminal neuralgia causes less severe constant burning pain in one side of the face. So, this summarizes the difference between typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia.
Reference:
1. “Trigeminal Neuralgia: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Surgery.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Trigeminal Neuralgia” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia