|
The content on or accessible through Medpedia.com is for informational purposes only. Medpedia is not a substitute for professional advice or expert medical services from a qualified health professional.
Read more
|
Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
There are currently no Lead Editors of this article.
Ask a Question on This Topic
Important Resources for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia:
The information on this page is seed content provided by an organization. Please help improve this Article by adding to it. If you are a physician or PhD, learn how to edit. If you are anyone else, learn how to suggest changes.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a rare pain syndrome that affects the glossopharyngeal nerve (the ninth cranial nerve that lies deep within the neck), primarily in the elderly.
Contents |
Signs and Symptoms
GN causes sharp, stabbing pulses of pain in the back of the throat and tongue, the tonsils, and the middle ear. The excruciating pain of GN can last for a few seconds to a few minutes, and may return multiple times in a day or once every few weeks. Many individuals with GN relate the attacks of pain to specific trigger factors such as swallowing, drinking cold liquids, sneezing, coughing, talking, clearing the throat, and touching the gums or inside the mouth.
Causes
GN can be caused by compression of the glossopharyngeal nerve, but in some cases, no cause is evident.
Treatment
Most doctors will attempt to treat the pain first with drugs. Some individuals respond well to anticonvulsant drugs, such as carbamazapine and gabapentin. Surgical options, including nerve resection, tractotomy, or microvascular decompression, should be considered when individuals either don’t respond to, or stop responding to, drug therapy. Surgery is usually successful at ending the cycles of pain, although there may be some sensory loss in the mouth, throat, or tongue.
Related Problems
Like trigeminal neuralgia, it is associated with multiple sclerosis.
Clinical Trials
Neuralgia%22 Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.
Research
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other institutes at the National Institutes of Health conduct research related to GN in its clinics and laboratories and support additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Much of this research focuses on finding better ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure disorders such as GN.
Expected Outcome
Some individuals recover from an initial attack and never have another. Others will experience clusters of attacks followed by periods of short or long remission. Individuals may lose weight if they fear that chewing, drinking, or eating will cause an attack.
To suggest changes to this page, you must create an account on Medpedia.