ABSTRACT
Nicholas Andre recognized trigeminal neuralgia as a definite clinical entity in 1756 [1]. In 1773, John Fothergill described 14 cases of what he termed tic douloureux [2]. He noted that the pain in these patients was paroxysmal and sudden in its onset, the condition was more common in men than in women, and that it occurred more often in older people. His description of the symptoms is still used to make the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Despite various advances in neuroimaging and clinical electrophysiology, this remains a clinical diagnosis in which the patient’s history is the most important factor.
