J Clin Neurol.  2006 Sep;2(3):194-197. 10.3988/jcn.2006.2.3.194.

Unilateral Trigeminal Mandibular Motor Neuropathy Caused by Tumor in the Foramen Ovale

• Park KS
• Chung JM
• Jeon BS
• Park SH
• Lee KW

• KMID: 2287693
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2006.2.3.194

Abstract

Pure trigeminal motor neuropathy is characterized by trigeminal motor weakness without signs of trigeminal sensory or other cranial nerve involvement. We describe a 63-year-old woman with progressive weakness and atrophy of the left masticatory muscles. She had no sensory disturbance. The diagnosis of pure trigeminal motor neuropathy was made on the basis of clinical and electrophysiologic studies. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed enhancement of the enlarged mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve coursing through the left foramen ovale. Our observations suggest that pure trigeminal motor neuropathy can be induced by a tumor.

Keyword

Trigeminal motor neuropathy; Mandibular nerve; Neoplasm

MeSH Terms

Atrophy
Brain
Cranial Nerves
Diagnosis
Female
Foramen Ovale*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mandibular Nerve
Masticatory Muscles
Middle Aged
Trigeminal Nerve

Figure

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  Figure 1 Severe muscle wasting on the left side of the patient's face.

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  Figure 2 Coronal contrast-enhanced T1-weighted brain MRI. An enhanced mass was evident in the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve coursing through the left foramen ovale (arrowheads), with atrophy of the left masseter and pterygoid muscles (arrows).

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