A 47-year-old woman complained of refractory constant left-sided facial pain of 8-year duration. Neurologic examination was normal.

Our patient had an 8-year history of a predominantly unilateral, dull, and unrelenting left-sided facial pain that did not follow the anatomical boundaries of the trigeminal nerve. The pain was described as a deep aching and burning on the left side of her face, ear, and lateral aspect of her neck. Occasionally, it was described as sharp and/or shooting. The pain was not aggravated by chewing, swallowing, talking, touching the face at a specific point (trigger point), or lateral movements of the jaw. There was no history of odontalgia. The pain was not related to biting or hot and cold foods. She had no ipsilateral conjunctival injection, nasal congestion, or other autonomic symptoms. She did not have nausea, photophobia, or sonophobia. There was no history of zoster or associated facial sensory loss. Due to the almost continuous nature of her deep and intense facial pain, she became very irritable and experienced recurrent depression. Her sleep was not affected.