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

• SGN (Secondary Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia)

What is Secondary Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia? (Definition/Background Information)

• Glossopharyngeal neuralgia 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 and may occur secondary to any lesion, disease, or other factors
• When the cause of glossopharyngeal neuralgia is identified, it is known as Secondary Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia (SGN). The causative factors include multiple sclerosis; head and neck, tonsillar, or brain tumors (especially in the cerebellopontine angle region); neck injury/trauma; and congenital disorders such as Arnold-Chiari malformation

The criteria for diagnosis of Secondary 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
• An underlying disease has been demonstrated known to be able to cause, and explaining, the neuralgia
• 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)