What are the other Names for this Condition? (Also known as/Synonyms)

• GN (Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia)

What is Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia? (Definition/Background Information)

• The glossopharyngeal nerve, or cranial nerve 9, is a nerve bundle that serves both sensory and motor function. This cranial nerve is partially responsible for the sense of taste, communicates sensory information from parts of the inner ear, throat, and tongue, to the brain, and it stimulates the stylopharyngeus muscle that aids in nasopharynx dilation
• Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia (GN) is a rare disorder causing repeated pain episodes in parts of the face, mouth, and neck due to involvement of the glossopharyngeal nerve. The pain may be triggered/aggravated by factors such as eating, swallowing, speaking, or laughing. The condition is mostly observed in middle-aged and older adults
• The cause of Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia may include:
  • Congenital abnormalities
  • Infections
  • Tumors involving the mouth or throat, including brain tumors
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Carotid artery aneurysm
• The pain disorder involving the glossopharyngeal nerve is marked by the following characteristics:
  • Prior to the onset of Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia, individuals may experience unpleasant sensations in the region
  • The brief episodes of pain starts and ends abruptly, usually lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes
  • The stabbing or shooting pain may appear as an electric shock-like impulse and is noted recurrently
  • Initially, the pain may be mild; but as the condition progresses, the pain can become very severe. Also, the attacks tend to become more frequent
  • The pain is confined to the distribution region of the glossopharyngeal nerve or its branches
  • During the resting period between two episodes, pain cannot be triggered
  • The jaw, mouth (tongue), and ears are commonly affected. The pain may move on to involve other adjacent regions, such as the nose, chin, eye, and shoulder
• In severe cases, the vagus nerve may be affected too with additional signs and symptoms that include coughing, hoarse voice, abnormally slow heartbeat rate, dizziness, and fainting. Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia may be treated using medications and surgery, if necessary
• Broadly, the following forms of Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia are recognized:
  • Classical Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
  • Secondary Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
  • Idiopathic Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia

The criteria for diagnosis of Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia as outlined by the International Headache Society (IHS) is given below:

• Recurrent paroxysms of unilateral pain in the distribution of the glossopharyngeal nerve and fulfilling the criterion below:
• Pain has all of the following characteristics:
  • Lasting from a fraction of a few second to 2 minutes
  • Severe intensity
  • Electric shock-like, shooting, stabbing or sharp in quality
  • Precipitated by swallowing, coughing, talking or yawning
• Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis

(Source: International Headache Society Classification ICHD-3, London, United Kingdom)