Facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia secondary to metastasis: A case report.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: Trigeminal neuralgia due to a metastatic lesion is a relatively rare occurrence. These cases pose a diagnostic challenge for the clinician due to a complex clinical presentation.

CASE DESCRIPTION: The authors describe the case of a 65-year-old woman with left-sided facial pain and occasional numbness. The patient also reported autonomic features associated with facial pain, facial muscular weakness, and hearing and visual impairment. The patient's history of breast cancer, for which she was receiving treatment for bone metastasis, warranted diagnostic imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging with and without contrast was performed and revealed a possible metastatic lesion.

CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Unusual clinical features must be identified, and prompt appropriate imaging is instrumental in making at an accurate diagnosis and management plan.