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Supraorbital Nerve Entrapment: Face

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Peripheral Nerve Entrapments

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Abstract

Supraorbital neuralgia is an uncommon cause of face pain that presents with symptoms of unilateral or bilateral intermittent forehead with tenderness over the distribution of the supraorbital nerve. Occasionally, patients may present with other symptoms such as blurred vision, nausea, and photophobia, thus confusing the diagnosis with other syndromes such as migraine-type headaches, cluster headaches, or sinusitis. However, the most common causes are trauma to the forehead and fluid retention, leading to entrapment of the supraorbital nerve. Treatment varies and should be directed to the cause itself. Treatment involves removing the irritating stimulus, medications, local anesthetic blockade, neurolysis of the nerve, neuromodulation, and surgical decompression.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Oklahoma Pain Physicians, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73120, USA

    Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP

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  1. Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP
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Correspondence to Rafael Justiz MD, MS, DABA/PM, FIPP, DABIPP .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pain and Headache Center, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP (Medical Director) (Medical Director)

Electronic Supplementary Material

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Physical exam of the supraorbital nerve (MOV 33642 kb)

Landmark-guided injection of the supraorbital nerve (MOV 45745 kb)

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Justiz, R. (2016). Supraorbital Nerve Entrapment: Face. In: Trescot, A.M. (eds) Peripheral Nerve Entrapments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27482-9_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27482-9_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27480-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27482-9

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