Trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain imaging

The trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve has an extensive distribution in the head and face. It is the source for pain conduction and thereby is often implicated in a variety of disorders including inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. To determine the disease source, understanding the trigeminal nerve anatomy is essential, and further being able to image the trigeminal nerve provides insight into the location and type of pathology. The best approach to imaging is to consider the nerve in segments. The nerve segments may be divided into the brainstem, cisternal, Meckel's cave, cavernous sinus, and peripheral divisions. This review utilizes these segments to explore imaging options to help understand trigeminal neuralgia and pain in the trigeminal nerve distribution.