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Peripheral Nerve Entrapments pp 95–104Cite as

Supraorbital Nerve Entrapment

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Abstract

Supraorbital neuralgia is an uncommon cause of extracranial headache that presents with symptoms of unilateral or bilateral intermittent forehead pain with tenderness over the distribution of the supraorbital nerve. Occasionally, patients may present with other symptoms, like blurred vision, nausea, and photophobia, thus confusing the diagnosis with other syndromes like migraine type headaches, cluster headaches, or sinusitis. However, the most common causes are trauma to the forehead and fluid retention, both leading to entrapment of the supraorbital nerve. Treatment varies and should be directed to the cause itself. Treatment involves removing the irritating stimulus, medications, local anesthetic blockade, neurolysis of the nerve, neuromodulation, and surgical decompression.

Keywords

  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Supraorbital neuralgia
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Postherpetic neuralgia
  • Headaches
  • Hemicrania continua
  • Cluster headaches
  • Nerve entrapment

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Oklahoma Pain Physicians, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

    Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP

  2. Pain and Headache Center, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP

Authors
  1. Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP
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  2. Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pain and Headache Center, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP (Medical Director) (Medical Director)

Electronic Supplementary Material

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Physical exam of the supraorbital nerve (MOV 33642 kb)

Landmark-guided injection of the supraorbital nerve (MOV 45745 kb)

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Justiz, R., Trescot, A.M. (2016). Supraorbital Nerve Entrapment. In: Trescot, A.M. (eds) Peripheral Nerve Entrapments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27482-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27482-9_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27480-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27482-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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