Terminology of pain and paresthetic syndrome of oral cavity mucosa

Abstract

Neurosomatic diseases manifestations in the oral cavity and on the skin of the face are various in pain and paresthesia sensations. Neuralgia, neuritis and causalgia are accompanied by intensive pain paroxysms, glossalgia and glossodynia by relatively tolerant, but constant and exhausting pain sensations. This drives patient out of habitual way of life, and often drives into depressive state with signs of cancerophobia. There exist various notions on pathogenesis of pain phenomenon. Neurogenic and vascular changes in the body with vegetative innervation and realization of pain in specific parts of oral cavity mucosa and on the skin of the face should be considered as specifically grounded. Gaps in understanding of nature of appearance and development of glossalgia and glossodynia gave rise to different names of these pathogenetic processes with further abundance of terminology. More often it is etiology or pathogenesis of pain syndrome that is explained by terms. Terminology of pain and paresthetic syndrome, presented in scientific literature by neurologists, psychiatrists and neuro-dentists, existing nowadays is investigated. This syndrome has about twenty names, often they reflect only clinical signs and topic character of manifestations. Only some of them have elements of etiology in their designation, in the majority of cases without profound justification. Due to this fact there appear difficulties in designation of pathologic process in oral cavity mucosa, which precisely reflect nature of the disease; this brings difference of specialists’ opinion. The authors recommend to define this phenomenon as “glossalgia” and “glossodynia”.

Keywords

• terminology
• syndrome
• "glossalgia"
• "glossodynia"