Fatal paranasal sinusitis presenting as trigeminal neuralgia.

Trigeminal neuralgia is rare in patients with paranasal sinusitis. The authors describe a case of paranasal sinusitis that appeared as an insidious onset of trigeminal neuralgia along the distribution of ophthalmic and maxillary branches, followed by rapid intracranial invasion with temporal meningoencephalitis and subdural empyema, and finally a fatal outcome.