1/157. Facial canal decompression leads to recovery of combined facial nerve paresis and trigeminal sensory neuropathy: case report.BACKGROUND: Trigeminal sensory neuropathy is often associated with facial idiopathic nerve paralysis (Bell's palsy). Although a cranial nerve viral polyneuropathy has been proposed as the usual cause, in many instances the etiology remains unclear. This case report of recovery of both trigeminal and facial neuropathy after surgical decompression of the facial nerve suggests an anatomic link. methods: A case of a 39-year-old woman presenting with recurrent unilateral facial paralysis is summarized. Her fifth episode, which did not spontaneously recover, was associated with retroorbital and maxillary pain as well as sensory loss in the trigeminal distribution. RESULTS: A middle cranial fossa approach for decompression of the lateral internal auditory canal, labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve and the geniculate ganglion was performed. The patient's pain and numbness resolved immediately postoperatively, and the facial paralysis improved markedly. CONCLUSION: This result implicates a trigeminal-facial reflex as hypothesized by others. It suggests that decompression of the facial nerve can lead to improvement in motor and sensory function as well as relief of pain in some patients with combined trigeminal and facial nerve dysfunction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/157. Apical transportation revisited or 'where did the K-file go'?CASE REPORT: This case report describes the outcome of a number of retreatments on a failed root filling in a maxillary first molar. The patient wanted all amalgams replaced by tooth-coloured Cerec restorations, including one in a symptomless maxillary molar. This tooth had a pulpotomy or a poorly done root-canal treatment 10 years earlier. The molar was root-canal retreated before placing the Cerec restoration and the palatal canal was filled 5 mm short of the radiographic apex. About 1 year later the patient presented with pain. Suspecting that a second mesiobuccal canal (MB-2) had not been located, a second non-surgical retreatment was instituted. MB-2 was not found and the palatal canal was retreated a third time, setting the working length 2 mm short of the radiographic apex. Because pain persisted palatally an apicectomy was performed and the tooth became symptomless. The resected palatal root apex was subsequently serially cross-sectioned, photographed and the canals analysed. Obvious apical transportation occurred during the cleaning and shaping procedures. Analyses of the canals showed that despite the retreatments, 11% of the canal cross-sectional area remained uncleaned although 7% of the root area was 'shaped'. Radiographically, the obturated palatal canal appeared reasonably well centred. However, this was disproved by the cross-sections, indicating that in this case, the clinician did not know where the K-Files had 'gone'. Apically, the obturated canal was certainly not within the natural canal. The pain located palatally was probably due to inadequate cleaning and shaping of the apical part of the root canal and its accessory canals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/157. Why is depression comorbid with chronic myofascial face pain? A family study test of alternative hypotheses.A number of explanations have been proposed to account for findings that rates of depression are elevated in persons with chronic, non-malignant pain disorders (CNPDs); for example, that CNPDs are variants of depression (e.g. 'masked depression'), that the stress of living with CNPDs contribute to the onset of depression ('diathesis-stress'), or that the correlation of CNPDs and depression is a methodological artifact of studying treatment-seeking samples. These alternative hypotheses are tested for one specific CNPD, chronic myofascial face pain, using a family study methodology. The procedure was to conduct direct psychiatric interviews with 106 patients with a history of carefully diagnosed myofascial face pain, 118 acquaintance controls without personal histories of myofascial face pain, and a random sample of adult first degree relatives of these case and control probands. The probands were further subdivided into four roughly equal samples consisting of cases with and without personal histories of major depressive disorder (MDD), and controls with and without personal histories of MDD. Dates of initial onsets of myofascial face pain and MDD in patient probands were obtained from interviews and records. The main results were that, compared to control probands without personal histories of MDD, MDD and depressive spectrum disorders (DSD) were elevated in the first degree relatives of control probands with personal histories of early onset MDD, but not in the first degree relatives of myofascial face pain probands with or without personal histories of early or late onset MDD. This outcome is consistent with the hypothesis that living with chronic myofascial face pain contributes to elevated rates of depression. It is inconsistent with the alternative hypotheses that this CNPD is a variant of depression or that the elevated MDD rates are simply an artifact of selection into treatment. The implications of these results and additional results consistent with them are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/157. Maxillofacial osteonecrosis in a patient with multiple "idiopathic" facial pains.Previous investigations have identified focal areas of alveolar bone tenderness, increased mucosal temperature, abnormal anesthetic response, radiographic abnormality, increased radioisotope uptake on bone scans, and abnormal marrow within the quadrant of pain in patients with chronic, idiopathic facial pain. The present case reports a 53-year-old man with multiple debilitating, "idiopathic" chronic facial pains, including trigeminal neuralgia and atypical facial neuralgia. At necropsy he was found to have numerous separate and distinct areas of ischemic osteonecrosis on the side affected by the pains, one immediately beneath the major trigger point for the lancinating pain of the trigeminal neuralgia. This disease, called NICO (neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis) when the jaws are involved, is a variation of the osteonecrosis that occurs in other bones, especially the femur. The underlying problem is vascular insufficiency, with intramedullary hypertension and multiple intraosseous infarctions occurring over time. The present case report illustrates the extreme difficulties involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/157. Eagle's syndrome: lesser cornu amputation: an alternative surgical solution?A case is reported of a 42-year-old female patient, who presented with clinical symptoms of Eagle's syndrome, radiographic evidence of marginally elongated styloid processes as well as markedly elongated lesser cornua of the hyoid. The symptoms were successfully treated by amputating the lesser cornua of the hyoid. The patient has now been asymptomatic for more than 6 years.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/157. Frontal intraosseous cryptic hemangioma presenting with supraorbital neuralgia.Primary intraosseous cranial hemangiomas are rare benign tumors comprising 0.2% of all osseous neoplasms. Symptomatic cranial cryptic hemangiomas are extremely rare. We report the case of a 43-year-old man with a cryptic hemangioma of the superior orbital rim. Radiological investigations revealed it to be an intraosseous cryptic mass which was totally excised and the supraorbital nerve was decompressed, relieving the patient of his symptoms. Histopathology showed features of an intraosseous hemangioma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.76598817497196keywords = ear, neoplasm (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/157. The "missing link" in the origin of trigeminal neuralgia: a new theory and case report.Tic Douloureux (trigeminal neuralgia) has afflicted mankind for centuries, perhaps for all time. This sharp stabbing paroxysm of pain along the branches of the trigeminal nerve is described as "...one of the most painful problems that plagues mankind." Many theories about the cause of trigeminal neuralgia have been previously presented. Often these theories build on the previous foundations when new research presents itself. The complete picture still eludes researchers today. Much of the mechanism has been proposed, but researchers lacked one essential component. There has never been an answer to why these pains only occur in cranial segments and why, thankfully, TN is rare. What sets the stage for the development of TN? The unique neurophysiology of the trigeminal nerve and the accompanying ability of the Temporomandibular joints to create a sensitized neural system are the last piece of the puzzle. This central sensitization of the trigeminal nerve allows the development of a small cluster of neurons that act as a central trigger for the paroxysmal pain. The role of the TMJ in trigeminal neuralgia is illustrated by this case report.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/157. The incidence and influence of abnormal styloid conditions on the etiology of craniomandibular functional disorders.This study aimed to examine the incidence and influence of craniomandibular functional disorders caused by abnormal styloid-stylohyoid chains. Seven hundred sixty-five patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders were divided into two groups (with and without radiographically visible abnormal styloid conditions). In the group with abnormal stylohyoid conditions, the etiology of TMJ disorders was further subdivided into poly-, oligo- and monoetiological factors, and, after this classification, evaluated regarding a clear, possible or unlikely involvement of abnormal stylohyoid conditions in TMJ disorders. One hundred thirty-six out of 765 patients presented abnormal styloid-stylohyoid chains. One hundred five of the patients (77.2%) demonstrated polyetiological causes of TMJ symptoms with an unlikely involvement of the abnormal styloid-stylohyoid chain. Twenty-nine of the patients (21.3%) showed oligoetiological causes with possible involvement of the abnormal styloid-stylohyoid chain. In two patients (1.5%), the abnormal styloid conditions showed up as the only definite cause of TMJ symptoms (monoetiological). Detailed knowledge of variations and possible effects of suprahyoid structures is important for an accurate diagnosis of TMJ disorders. All in all, the incidence of a stylohyoid involvement in TMJ disorders is very low. However, after an initial subdivision into abnormal and normal stylohyoid conditions, the incidence of pathological stylohyoid chains gains significant importance in the etiology of TMJ disorders.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/157. regeneration ad integrum of the condyle head in a patient with temporomandibular disorders.A 14-year-old who had suffered from a beta-hemolytic streptococcus infection presented with serious temporomandibular disorders, including a reabsorption of the condyle head on the right side, and reabsorption in the cavern of the left side. Her masticatory muscles were electronically deprogramed, achieving a mandibular position supported by a relaxed musculature. The patient's signs and symptoms subsequently disappeared. Study of the magnetic resonance image a year later clearly showed a regeneration ad integrum of the condyle head and a spontaneous reinsertion of the articular disk. The results suggest the need for use of electronic elements in order to treat patients with temporomandibular disorders effectively.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/157. Neurovascular compression of the trigeminal and glossopharyngeal nerve: three case reports.trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a frequent cause of paroxysmal facial pain and headache in adults. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is less common, but can cause severe episodic pain in the ear and throat. Neurovascular compression of the appropriate cranial nerve as it leaves the brain stem is responsible for the symptoms in many patients, and neurosurgical decompression of the nerve is now a well accepted treatment in adults with both TN and GPN who fail to respond to drug therapy. Neither TN nor GPN are routinely considered in the differential diagnosis when assessing children with paroxysmal facial or head pain, as they are not reported to occur in childhood. case reports of three children with documented neurovascular compression causing severe neuralgic pain and disability are presented. The fact that these conditions do occur in the paediatric population, albeit rarely, is highlighted, and appropriate investigation and management are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = ear (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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