Il Dolore Persistente Idiopatico Facciale (PIFP), già Algia Facciale Atipica - Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain (PIFP), already known as atypical facial pain

Abstract

Persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) is the current terminology for “atypical facial pain” (AFP), and is characterized, according to recent Classification, by recurring daily pain for more than two hours per day over more than three months, in the absence of clinical neurological deficit. Pain is initially confined but may subsequently spread. When present intraorally, PIFP has been termed “atypical odontalgia” (AO). According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3), AO is included as a subtype of PIFP and most researchers have concluded that it is a painful traumatic trigeminal neuropathy. The pathophysiology of PIFP is still mysterious, however neuropathic mechanisms may be relevant. PIFP is often a difficult but important differential diagnosis among chronic facial pain syndromes. They include facial myofascial pain, atypical trigeminal neuralgia, painful traumatic trigeminal neuropathy and orofacial migraines. For this reason and to rule out psychiatric comorbidities interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Due to enigmatic pathophysiology the PIFP’s treatment is unclear. Probably the best outcomes are obtained with a combination of pharmacologic and no pharmacologic treatments, reserve interventional treatment for selected cases.

Keywords

• Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain
• atypical facial pain
• chronic facial pain
• atypical odontalgia
• dolore persistente idiopatico facciale
• algia facciale atipica
• dolore facciale cronico
• odontalgia atipica.