- pain in distribution of trigemnal nerve which usually lasts seconds to minutes but in some can be more continous
- lightly touching trigger zones in distribution of the affected nerve or certain movements (chewing, talking, brushing teeth, cold air, smiling) may worsen symptoms
- other causes of the pain, particularly tooth pathology, has been ruled out
- consider MRI/MRA to evaluate for demyelinating lesions, mass lesions or ectatic blood vessels which may be irritating the trigeminal nerve
Source
Bajwa, Zahid MD et al. "Trigeminal neuralgia." Up to Date. 31 May 2008.
