title: A case of mental nerve paresthesia due to dynamic compression of alveolar inferior nerve along an elongated styloid process.
abstract: Spontaneous paresthesia of the mental nerve is considered an ominous clinical sign. Mental nerve paresthesia has also been referred to as numb chin syndrome. Several potentially different factors have been investigated for their role in interfering with the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and causing mental nerve neuropathy. In the present case, the patient had an elongated calcified styloid process that we hypothesized had caused IAN irritation during mandibular movement. This eventually resulted in progressive loss of sensation in the mental nerve region. To our knowledge, this dynamic irritation, with complete recovery after resection of the styloid process, has not been previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Affiliate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands; and Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Amsterdam Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: pgooris@amphia.nl.
authors.forename: Peter J J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gooris
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Department of Neurology, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zijlmans
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J Eelco
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bergsma
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands; and Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gertjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mensink
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed