Migraine with isolated facial pain: a diagnostic challenge

Cephalalgia. 2007 Nov;27(11):1278-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01413.x. Epub 2007 Sep 10.

Abstract

We present a series of seven migraine patients with typical features of a migraine attack without aura, but atypical pain localization in the face in one or both of the lower two distributions of the trigeminal nerve (V2 and V3). All of them responded well to triptans. Three patients responded to preventive treatment for migraine with beta-blockers (n = 2) or valproic acid (n = 1). These cases underline the heterogenic clinical presentation of migraine, which is sometimes difficult to diagnose even for headache specialists, and broaden the pathophysiological understanding of trigeminal nociceptive processing in migraine in the light of neuronal plasticity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Facial Pain / drug therapy
  • Facial Pain / etiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Migraine Disorders / complications*
  • Migraine Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Migraine Disorders / drug therapy
  • Trigeminal Nerve / physiopathology
  • Tryptamines / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Tryptamines