Facial pain of intracranial origin

Facial pain is a common reason for a patient to consult an oral surgeon. The latter must be fully aware that dental disease is not the only cause of facial pain and that, in fact, such pain may be caused by disease quite far removed from the face. Presented here is a case of an epidermoid cyst of the cerebellopontine angle causing facial pain. It illustrates the need for the oral surgeon to be aware of all of the conditions that cause facial pain and to know how to conduct a cranial-nerve examination as part of a routine evaluation.