Orofacial pain of cardiac origin, serial of clinical cases

OBJECTIVE To determine the clinical characteristics of the orofacial pain of cardiac origin in patients visited when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service of the Can Ruti Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona, Spain). STUDY DESIGN The sample of that study included thirty patients visiteding when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service. The questionnaire has been asked to a sample of 30 patients. RESULTS Eleven of the 30 patients included in this study presented craniofacial pain before or during the cardiac seizure. The location of the pain was bilateral, non-irradiated at the mandible in all cases. The intensity of the pain was from slight to severe. The frequency of the appearance of the pain was paroxysmal in 8 cases and constant in three cases, and the duration was from a few hours to a maximum of 14 days. DISCUSSION The cardiac pain in craniofacial structures is usually bilateral, compared to odontogenic pain which is always unilateral. The pain of cardiac origin is considered atypical because of its location, but about the 10 % of the cases, the cardiac ischemia has its primary manifestation in orofacial structures. CONCLUSIONS Eleven patients referred a bilateral non-irradiated mandibular pain, with intensity from slight to severe, and with a paroxystic frequency in eight cases and a constant frequency in three cases. Just one patient referred pain during the treadmill exercise test. In all cases the pain disappeared after the cardiac surgery or the administration of vasodilators.