CASE 60
WHICH CRANIAL NERVE IS INVOLVED IN PRODUCING THE PATIENT’S SYMPTOMS?
The patient was diagnosed with neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve, which is also known as tic douloureux. The trigeminal nerve is composed of three divisions:
The specific division producing the symptoms in this scenario is the maxillary nerve, which conveys general sensory fibers. Trigeminal neuralgia frequently involves the maxillary or mandibular divisions, or both, but rarely affects the ophthalmic nerve.
WHAT ARE THE SENSORY AND MOTOR DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE?
The motor and sensory distribution (Figs. 7-31 and 7-32) of the trigeminal nerve and its branches are described in Table 7-2.

FIGURE 7-31 Trigeminal nerve (CN V).
(Drake R, Vogl W and Mitchell A: Gray’s Anatomy for Students. Churchill Livingstone, 2004. Fig. 8-58)

FIGURE 7-32 Cutaneous distribution of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).
(Drake R, Vogl W and Mitchell A: Gray’s Anatomy for Students. Churchill Livingstone, 2004. Fig. 8-59)
TABLE 7-2 Sensory and Motor Distribution of the Trigeminal Nerve
Division | Branch of Division | Distribution |
---|---|---|
Ophthalmic nerve | Lacrimal nerve (smallest of the main branches of the ophthalmic nerve) | Sensory to lacrimal gland, adjoining conjunctiva, and upper eyelid |
Ophthalmic nerve | Frontal nerve (largest branch of the ophthalmic nerve) |
Sensory via supratrochlear nerve to conjunctiva, skin of upper eyelid, and skin of inferior forehead near midline
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