Trigeminal neuralgia associated with sinusitis

When a patient presents with trigeminal neuralgia, one usually thinks of a vascular loop at the root entry zone of the nerve and consequently of vascular decompression. An image of sinusitis on the MRI may be considered an incidental finding. We present a case of an elderly woman who experienced severe neuralgic pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve on the left side following a mild upper respiratory tract infection. Routine MRI revealed severe sinusitis with no pathology in the brain. Following antibiotic treatment for the sinusitis, the symptoms of the neuralgia resolved completely and no other therapy was necessary. A review of the literature reveals a wide variety of etiologies for trigeminal neuralgia. A vascular loop compressing the nerve may be the most frequent cause of trigeminal neuralgia. Nevertheless, other etiologies must be considered prior to decompressive surgery since some can be treated medically.