Glossopharyngeal neuralgia

A rare cranial neuralgia characterized by paroxysmal, usually unilateral stabbing pain within the sensory distributions of the auricular and pharyngeal branches of the glossopharyngeal and sometimes the vagus nerve (i. e. the posterior part of the tongue, the tonsillar fossa, oropharynx, larynx, angle of the mandible, and/or ear). The attacks last seconds to minutes with intervals between the paroxysms ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, and appear in clusters lasting weeks to months, again with irregular intervals in between. Pain attacks are usually triggered by a specific stimulus but may also occur spontaneously. The condition can sometimes be associated with bradycardia, syncope, seizures, and even asystole, and is then termed vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia.