Trigeminal lesions

The present review article deals with the trigeminal nerve. Anatomically, the trigeminal nerve (CN V) is a mixed sensory and motor nerve. It

divides into three branches: the ophthalmic nerve, the maxillary nerve, and the mandibular nerve. These branches mediate the perception

of superficial, dermal, and mucosal sensitivity from the face, the scalp anterior to the interauricular line, the oral and nasal cavities, from the

region of the paranasal sinuses, and from the eye. Sensory afferentation passes via the thalamus to the primary sensory cortical areas. Motor

central neurons are located in the primary motor cortical area. In terms of motor function, the trigeminal nerve innervates the muscles of

mastication. The causes of injury to the trigeminal nerve vary and include, for example, trauma, vascular injury, inflammations, demyelination,

or tumours. The prevalence and incidence of trigeminal neuropathies are not known; the most frequent causes reported in the

literature include iatrogenic injury (in dental treatment), trauma, and cerebellopontine angle and skull base tumours. Worldwide, leprosy

is perhaps the most frequent cause of injury to the trigeminal nerve. The paper also deals with some of the primary headaches (migraine,

cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, and SUNCT) that are linked to dysfunction of the trigeminovascular system.

Keywords: trigeminal nerve, trigeminal lesion aetiology, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, secondary trigeminal lesion