Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve, which is the fifth and largest cranial nerve. TN is characterized by sudden, severe, electric shock-like or stabbing pain typically felt on one side of the jaw or cheek. TN is uncommon, with an estimated prevalence of 155 cases per million persons. For the most part, TN strikes people over the age of 50, although isolated pediatric cases have been documented.

TN can be either idiopathic or secondary. Secondary TN may be caused by a tumor, a number of vascular abnormalities, inflammatory disorders like MS, or possibly due to the remote effects of cancer.