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ABSTRACT
We encountered three patients with trigeminal neuralgia-like paroxysmal pain in the buccal nerve region. In all cases, paroxysmal pain was felt spreading to the receptive field of the ipsilateral buccal nerve, and clear tenderness was observed during intraoral palpation at the inner side of the mandibular ramus where the temporalis muscle runs and attaches. It was assumed that the paroxysmal pain might be caused by nerve compression related to temporalis muscle hyperactivity. To lend support to this hypothesis, we also studied the anatomical relationship between the buccal nerve and the masticatory muscles. In this autopsy study, the buccal nerve pierced the temporalis muscle in six (12%) of 52 specimens from 26 cadavers. These findings support the hypothesis that peripheral buccal nerve compression could be an etiology of paroxysmal neuropathic pain in the unilateral orofacial region.
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Notes on contributors
Shigeru Maeda
Dr. Shigeru Maeda received his D.D.S. degree in 1990 from Okayama University Dental School and a Ph.D. in 1998 from the same university. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Okayama University Dental School since 1993.
Takuya Miyawaki
Dr. Takuya Miyawaki received his D.D.S. degree in 1986 from Okayama University Dental School and a Ph.D. in 1995 from the same university. He is an associate professor in the Department of Dental Anesthesiology at Okayama University Dental School since 1996.
Takuo Kuboki
Dr. Takuo Kuboki received his D.D.S. degree in 1986 from Okayama University Dental School and a Ph.D. in 1990 from the same university. He has been an assistant professor in the Department of Fixed Prosthodontics at Okayama University Dental School since 2000.
Masahiko Shimada
Dr. Masahiko Shimada received his D.D.S. degree in 1980 and a Ph.D. in 1984 from Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He is a professor in the Department of Dental Anesthesiology Okayama University Dental School since 1993.