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Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia in the Rehabilitation Patient

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Comprehensive Pain Management in the Rehabilitation Patient

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Abstract

The International Headache Society Guidelines define glossopharyngeal neuralgia as a “severe transient stabbing pain experienced in the ear, base of the tongue, tonsillar fossa, or beneath the angle of the jaw” [25]. The glossopharyngeal nerve serves autonomic, motor, and sensory functions; compromise of this nerve along its course can cause neuralgia. Compression by blood vessels and tumors are known to cause this condition. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia affects adults and can be mistakenly diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia, but tests can be used to differentiate these conditions. Treatment consists mainly of pharmacologic management, but surgical procedures can be used to treat medically refractory cases.

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Recommended Reading

  • Blumenfeld A, Nikolskaya G. Glossopharyneal neuralgia. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2013;17:1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalgia. 2004;24:6–160.

    Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA

    David B. Choi M.D., Cody A. Doberstein, Wael F. Asaad M.D., Ph.D. & Curtis E. Doberstein M.D.

  2. Memorial Neuroscience Institute, Memorial Regional Hospital, Suite #300, 1150 North 35th Ave., Hollywood, FL, 33021, USA

    Daniel M. Aghion M.D.

Authors
  1. David B. Choi M.D.
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  2. Cody A. Doberstein
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  3. Daniel M. Aghion M.D.
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  4. Wael F. Asaad M.D., Ph.D.
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  5. Curtis E. Doberstein M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Curtis E. Doberstein M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University, Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, USA

    Alexios Carayannopoulos DO, MPH

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Choi, D.B., Doberstein, C.A., Aghion, D.M., Asaad, W.F., Doberstein, C.E. (2017). Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia in the Rehabilitation Patient. In: Carayannopoulos DO, MPH, A. (eds) Comprehensive Pain Management in the Rehabilitation Patient. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16784-8_65

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16784-8_65

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16783-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16784-8

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