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Biomedical subjects

S B Graff-Radford

Publications and source records attributed to S B Graff-Radford.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

A retrospective study of patients with cluster headaches.

Referred pain in the midface and teeth is a common clinical feature of the cluster headache and cluster headache-like disorders. It is not unusual therefore for patients with cluster headaches to go to the dentist. In this report, 33 cases of cluster headache, which met the International Headache Society classification criteria, and which were seen by us during a 2-year period, are reviewed. Fourteen (42%) of 33 patients who were seen by dental practitioners and who received some form of ineffective dental or pharmacologic treatment are described here. Since almost 50% of the cluster headache patients described here received inappropriate dental treatment, it is hoped that this review and retrospective assessment will make the dental practitioner aware of this disorder and provide a broader perspective in the treatment of pain in the orofacial region. Clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and treatment of cluster headaches are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Trigeminal neuralgia: how to rule out the wrong treatment.

Toothache is difficult to diagnose and treat appropriately when traditional dental diagnostic test results are negative. This study looked at 61 patients who were treated for pretrigeminal or trigeminal neuralgia. Of these, 61 percent were incorrectly diagnosed and treated.

Dental Pulp Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Atypical odontalgia.

Atypical odontalgia describes atypical facial pain in apparently normal teeth. Unfortunately, dentists usually consider this diagnosis only after the failure of invasive treatment. Atypical odontalgia patients are typified by women in their mid-40s who complain of persistent pain in one or more premolar or molar teeth. They associate pain with dental procedures or trauma to the region. While the cause of atypical odontalgia is uncertain, deafferentation pain appears to be a plausible mechanism. This article reviews relevant aspects of this perplexing pain problem. To help avert the untimely diagnosis of atypical odontalgia, identifying inclusion criteria are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Headache problems that can present as toothache.

Toothache of nonodontogenic origin may be better differentiated with the use of differential diagnostic blockade. Table 9 reviews the expected outcome of somatic block at the site of pain and when the nerve division or the site of nociception is blocked. Although there is considerable overlap, this technique together with a careful history and detailed physical examination will prevent many unnecessary irreversible treatments. If no sign of periapical pathology can be determined (radiography is normal) and the dental examination is nonrevealing, at least a 4-month period should be allowed to elapse before considering any irreversible dental procedure. During this time pharmacologic trials may be attempted, bearing in mind the clinical presentation. Patients should be informed that it may take at least 4 months for the dental pathology to manifest and in the hope of preventing irreversible damage, careful observation accompanied by the pharmacologic trials will be carried out. The practicing clinician is encouraged to maintain a broad perspective of the differential diagnosis of toothache when the pathology is not obvious.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1990

Pre-trigeminal neuralgia.

Eighteen patients who subsequently developed typical trigeminal neuralgia experienced a prodromal pain termed "pre-trigeminal neuralgia." These patients described their prodromal pain as a toothache or sinusitis-like pain lasting up to several hours, sometimes triggered by jaw movements or by drinking hot or cold liquids. Typical trigeminal neuralgia developed a few days to 12 years later, and in all cases affected the same division of the trigeminal nerve. Six additional patients experiencing what appeared to be pre-trigeminal neuralgia became pain-free when taking carbamazepine or baclofen. Recognition of pretrigeminal neuralgia makes it possible to relieve the pain with appropriate medications and avoid unnecessary irreversible dental procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Oromandibular disorders and headache. A critical appraisal.

Oromandibular disorders are functional disorders and associated pains in the anatomic region of the temporomandibular joint. Their diagnosis and treatment are controversial because of the lack of conformity concerning these disorders among health care providers. This article provides a clear classification of these disorders and critically reviews their evaluation and treatment.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1989

Electronic thermography in the diagnosis of atypical odontalgia: a pilot study.

Atypical odontalgia (AO) is a dental condition that is usually diagnosed by exclusion after failure of multiple dental treatments. A functional definition of AO includes (1) continuous pain in and about a tooth or teeth, (2) pain present for longer than 4 months, (3) inadequate local cause (no abnormality detected on dental radiographs), and (4) anesthetic blockade gives equivocal relief of toothache. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential role of electronic thermography in the diagnosis of AO. Results from measurements of facial thermal symmetry indicated that normal subjects = 83.5%, AO group = 65.8% (p less than 0.01). Electronic thermography interpreted by thermography experts has promise as a diagnostic test for AO among patients with toothache for which the dentist can find no convincing dental explanation.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Myofascial pain may present clinically as occipital neuralgia.

Three case presentations illustrate that the clinical signs and symptoms of occipital neuralgia may be produced by myofascial pain. Assessment of myofascial trigger points is needed before making a diagnosis of occipital neuralgia. Myofascial trigger points can be effectively treated with minimally invasive procedures, thereby avoiding irreversible surgical interventions.

Adult↗