title: Vagus nerve pain referred to the craniofacial region. A case report and literature review with implications for referred cardiac pain.
abstract: The pain of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction is sometimes referred to the head and neck region. The mechanism for this effect remains obscure. A case is presented here that reports that electrical stimulation of a cardiac branch of the left vagus nerve in humans can cause referred craniofacial pain. This leads to the hypothesis that the vagus nerve plays a role in mediating this pain. A review of the clinical and physiologic literature supports this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnosis, Dental Associates, Ltd. Of Wisconsin, 11711 W. Burleigh St., Wauwatosa, WI 53222, USA. dnaanddan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D053591:Referred Pain; D014098:Toothache / Q000209:etiology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*