<p>Neuropathic Characteristics In Patients With Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain</p>

Abstract

BackgroundPersistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) is a subtype of painful cranial neuropathies and other facial pains. The involvement of neuropathic mechanisms in PIFP, however, remains controversial. Using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire, the present study examined neuropathic characteristics in patients with PIFP.MethodsThe multi-institutional retrospective study collected the following clinical data from 205 consecutive patients with adult chronic pain: gender, age, BMI, diseases causing chronic pain, disease duration, visual analogue scale score of pain strength, and DN4 score. To compare neuropathic characteristics between PIFP and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), we selected patients with PIFP (n=19) and patients with PHN (n=33), and performing a case–control study in which each patient with PHN or PIFP was matched by age and gender (n=16 in each group).ResultsDN4 score was significantly lower in the PIFP group than in the PHN group before and after matching. The incidence when DN4 was ≥4 was 10.5% before matching and 12.5% after matching in the PIFP group, both of which were significantly lower than those in the PHN group before and after matching (66.7% and 75.0%).ConclusionTen percent of the PIFP patients likely show neuropathic pain characteristics.

Multimodal pain therapy for persistent idiopathic facial pain - a pilot study

“…However, as PIFP is a very unusual diagnosis, higher sample sizes are difficult to acquire at a single institution. In fact, many studies of PIFP deal with comparable or smaller sample sizes [46][47][48][49]. Further, the outcomes may only be attributed to the specific therapeutic program at our institution although this is similar to corresponding programs in Germany.…”

Chronic Facial Pain: Trigeminal Neuralgia, Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain, and Myofascial Pain Syndrome—An Evidence-Based Narrative Review and Etiological Hypothesis

“…The authors concluded that there was a neuropathic component to PIFP [ 84 ]. Neuropathic characteristics were identified in 10% of PIFP subjects using a Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire, though the PIFP group was only compared to a cohort of post-herpetic pain patients and not to normal controls [ 85 ]. Notwithstanding, the data that suggests that at least some cases of PIFP are neuropathic in nature remains sparse.…”

Persistent idiopathic facial pain treated with botulinum toxin and pulsed radiofrequency of infraorbital nerve: a case report

“…According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (3rd edition) classification (ICHD 3), it is defined as a recurring pain lasting more than 2 h daily for more than 3 months without any clinical neurological deficit and having poorly localized, dull aching, or nagging quality [ 2 ]. Neuropathic elements are believed to be involved, at least in some patients [ 3 ]. Treatment is often unsatisfactory, and typically invasive interventions are not considered effective.…”