title: Trigeminal neuralgia--a presenting feature of facial leprosy.
abstract: Trigeminal neuralgia is a well recognized clinical entity. However, it has not been reported to mimic leprosy or vice versa. Of the 3 cases reported here, 2 initially presented with neuralgic symptoms similar to that seen in trigeminal neuralgia and later developed borderline lesions on the face. The 3rd case demonstrated a tingling sensation along with firm and palpable supraorbital nerve (a branch of trigeminal nerve), and a very early skin lesion on the face pointed to the need to consider neuritic type leprosy before concluding the final diagnosis of a disease like trigeminal neuralgia which calls for a different therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Bhopal Gas Disaster Research Centre, Gandhi Medical College campus, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Malaviya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girdhar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Girdhar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology*