Neuralgia

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Central nervous system

Neuralgia is a sharp, shocking pain that follows the path of a nerve and is due to irritation or damage to the nerve.

See also:

• Shingles
• Trigeminal neuralgia

Nerve pain

Causes of neuralgia include:

• Chemical irritation
• Chronic renal insufficiency
• Diabetes
• Infections, such as herpes zoster ( shingles), HIV, Lyme disease, and syphilis
• Medications such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, or vincristine
• Porphyria
• Pressure on nerves by nearby bones, ligaments, blood vessels, or tumors
• Trauma (including surgery)

In many cases, the cause is unknown.

Postherpetic neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are the two most common forms of neuralgia. A related but less common neuralgia affects the glossopharyngeal nerve, which provides feeling to the throat.

Neuralgia is more common in elderly people, but it may occur at any age.

Review Date: 09/28/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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