title: Trigeminal neuralgia caused by a pontine abscess: case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various intracranial abnormalities, including infectious conditions, may manifest as trigeminal neuralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 33-year-old man presented with a 15-day history of right-sided facial pain and numbness. Neurological examination revealed diminished corneal reflex and facial sensation in the right V(1)-V(2) distribution. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing lesion centered at the right pons with extension of the enhancement to the sphenoid sinus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Broad-spectrum antibiotics were administered for 6 weeks. This resulted in alleviation of symptoms and resolution of the lesion as revealed by repeat magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presentation of a pons abscess with trigeminal neuralgia is rare, and to the best of our knowledge has not been reported previously. The patient was treated successfully with antibiotics alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uludag University School of Medicine, Görükle Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bekar
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocaeli
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Seref
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doğan
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011149:Pons / Q000382:microbiology*; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000382:microbiology; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology*