Related Experiment Videos
Raeder's syndrome. A case with an unusual localization
1Department of Neurology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Raeder's paratrigeminal neuralgia involves facial pain and Horner syndrome. A lesion in the cavernous sinus is the likely cause when the ophthalmic nerve is affected.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Raeder's paratrigeminal neuralgia is characterized by unilateral facial pain and ipsilateral Horner syndrome.
- The typical localization of this syndrome is the pericarotid sympathetic plexus.
Observation:
- A patient presented with left-sided frontal and orbital pain, Horner syndrome (including forehead anhydrosis), and sensory loss in the first division of the trigeminal nerve.
- The ophthalmic nerve involvement was noted, which is atypical for the usual syndrome localization.
Findings:
- The oculosympathetic fibers and those innervating forehead sweat glands join the ophthalmic nerve within the cavernous plexus.
- This anatomical pathway suggests the cavernous sinus as the most probable site of the lesion.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering the cavernous sinus in cases of Raeder's paratrigeminal neuralgia with ophthalmic nerve involvement.
- Understanding the precise localization of lesions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias.
- Further research into the neuroanatomy of sympathetic pathways is warranted to fully elucidate mechanisms of such conditions.