Study; Country; year Demographic features Past History Duration of illness Investigations Treatment given
A case of intractable facial pain secondary to metastatic lung cancer; Italy;2008 [8]
70-year female
Non smoker
15-month history of constant facial pain.
Clinical examination: abnormal breath sounds, loss of sensation on right side of face. Chest X-ray: mass in right hilar region
Treatment with amitriptyline 40 mg/day and gabapentin (up to 2000 mg/day) was not successful. Pain resolved with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Lung cancer presenting with unilateral facial pain: remission after laryngeal nerve palsy; Italy;2006 [9]
39-year female
Smoked 1 pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years.
2-month history of facial pain on the left side.
Clinical examination: Supraclavicular lymphadenopathy CT scan chest: Mass in left mediastinum.
Gabapentin, carbamazepine, and prednisone did not relieve pain. The patient was treated with chemotherapy: gemcitabine and cisplatin
A review of intractable facial pain secondary to underlying lung neoplasms, USA;2003 [10]
63-year-old male
65 pack-year history of smoking
5 weeks of facial pain
ESR elevated Chest X-ray: right hilar mass.
Opioids were unsuccessful. Treated with radiation and chemotherapy.
Facial pain as the presenting symptom of lung carcinoma with normal chest radiograph; USA,2003 [1]
52-year-old man
Smoked 3 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years. Family history of his father having died of lung cancer.
6 months of sharp facial pain
WBC count elevated Chest X-Ray: Right lower lobe mass.
Pain did not reduce with NSAIDs and narcotic analgesics. Did not respond to radiation therapy.
Facial pain as the presenting symptom of lung carcinoma with normal chest radiograph; USA;2003 [1]
63-year-old male
History of left lower lobectomy for adenocarcinoma- of the lung. 120 pack-year smoking history.
1-month history of progressive pain
ESR elevated. CT chest: subcarinal mass
Radiotherapy.
Persistent unilateral facial pain in lung cancer patients with mediastinal nodal involvement; UK;2013 [4]
62-year-old man
History of wedge resection for lung cancer.
After 5 months of resection, he developed facial pain.
CT, MRI showed mass in lung and brain
Opioids, NSAIDs and neuropathic adjuvants failed. Palliative radiotherapy and cisplatin – etoposide chemotherapy relieved the pain.
Persistent unilateral facial pain in lung cancer patients with mediastinal nodal involvement; UK;2013 [4]
65-year-old woman
No
12 months history of right jaw pain Investigations revealed a T4NXM0 squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. She was given palliative radiotherapy to the chest, 36 Gy in 12 fractions
Amitriptyline gave little pain relief. Palliative radiotherapy to the chest completely resolved the pain.
Facial pain associated with lung cancer: a case report;1983 [2]
45-year-old male
No
4 months of deep, boring pain near maxilla
ESR elevated Chest X ray: mass in right lower lobe Ibuprofen, carbamazepine and diphenhydramine Hydrochloride did not reduce pain but, aspirin and acetaminophen did. Pain completely resolved on surgical resection.
Unilateral facial pain as the first symptom of lung cancer: are there diagnostic clues? Belgium;1992 [11]
53-year-old
Smoker
12-month history of facial pain
Adenocarcinoma of the right superior lobe was diagnosed
Pain was not relieved by analgesics and sphenopalatine ganglion anaesthesia. Radiotherapy completely resolved pain.
Facial pain as a symptom of nonmetastatic lung cancer; USA;1995 [5]
68-year-old woman
40 pack year smoking history
1-year history of right sided facial pain
Clubbing present Chest X ray: Middle lobe nodular infiltrate
The pain did not respond to amitriptyline, narcotic medications, carbamazepine, phenytoin. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy resolved pain.