Table 4. Specific attributes related to TN compared to other conditions and severe headaches.

Attributes of face pain and headaches [3,15,50-65]

CPH: chronic paroxysmal hemicrania; PHN: postherpetic neuralgia; TMD: temporomandibular disorder; TN: trigeminal neuralgia; SUNA: short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform; SUNCT: short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing

Attribute	Feature	Likely condition(s)
Autonomic symptoms	Prominent	Cluster headache, SUNCT, CPH
	Variable	Migraine, TN, PHN (mild if at all)
	None	Giant cell arteritis, dental pain
Duration of attack	Continuous pain over prolonged period	PHN, giant cell arteritis, migraine, sometimes dental pain
	Minutes only	SUNA/SUNCT, cracked tooth, TN
	Minutes to 45 minutes	CPH
	Repeated brief attacks	Cluster headache, TN
	Persistent, unrelenting	TMD
Pain location	Unilateral	TN, migraine, TMD
	Forehead	SUNA/SUNCT, CPH, PHN, giant cell arteritis
	Retrobulbar	TN (unilateral), cluster headache (unilateral) SUNCT, CPH, PHN, giant cell arteritis
	Cheek, chin	TN, migraine, dental, TMD
	Temple	Tension-type headache, giant cell arteritis, TMD
	Intraoral	Dental, TN
	Ear	TMD
Paroxysmal pain	Only paroxysms	TN, SUNA/SUNCT
	Paroxysms against background of continuous pain	Cluster headache, sometimes TN, sometimes dental pain, PHN
Triggers	Yes	Cluster headache, migraine, TN, dental pain, possibly PHN
	No	Giant cell arteritis
Other factors	Sex	Migraine is more common in women, SUNCT is almost exclusively in women, cluster headache is more common among men
	History	Dental procedures or trauma can precede dental pain; PHN requires a history of shingles
	Restlessness, agitation	Cluster headache