Orofacial pain of cardiac origin

Facial pain of cardiac origin: a case report

“…[1][2][3] Indeed, there are reports of patients who underwent dental extractions for the treatment of facial pain that was eventually diagnosed as angina due to ischemic heart disease. 2 Myofascial pain from masticatory muscles may be acute and regional, or chronic associated with widespread pain, and may have atypical presentation, such as angina.…”

“…Careful history-taking regarding the pain is of paramount importance. [1][2][3] In these settings, dentists may contribute towards the diagnosing of ischemic heart disease and thus refer patients for cardiological evaluation.…”

Bilateral facial pain from cardiac origin. A case report

“…The temporal association between physical exertion and pain might have led to the diagnosis of angina pectoris, a highly prevalent condition and thus ranked among the leading causes of pain considered in the diagnosis of orofacial pain. 1 Cardiac pain may occur first in the teeth and in the jaw due to connections between thoracic and cervical dermatomes (from C 2 to T 1 roots) 4,6 and due to connections between cervical dermatomes and the trigeminal nerve. Indeed, there are reports of patients who were subjected to dental extractions for treatment of facial pain but eventually diagnosed with angina due to ischaemic heart disease.…”

“…The rest of the physical examination was unrevealing. The electrocardiogram revealed sinus rhythm, heart rate 45 beats per minute and negative ST-T segment in leads II, III and aVF and flattening of ST-T segment in leads V 5 and V 6 . On echocardiography inferior wall hypokinesis was detected; the Doppler study revealed mild mitral valve regurgitation.…”

Vagus nerve pain referred to the craniofacial region. A case report and literature review with implications for referred cardiac pain

“…Nonetheless, the full extent of the craniofacial pain of coronary ischaemia has only recently been appreciated. [1][2][3] In one study, 3 a total of 6% of subjects had craniofacial pain as the only complaint of coronary ischaemia while an addi tional 32% experienced craniofacial pain concomitant with pain in other regions. However, the mechanism of the referred pain from the heart to the craniofacial area remains obscure.…”