Dentistry

SUNCT-short lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing syndrome; do the dentists really need to be aware of it?

27^th Euro Dentistry Congress

October 25-27, 2018 | Prague, Czech Republic

Yaqoub Yousef Alabouh

Kuwait University, Kuwait

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Dentistry

Abstract:

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is one type of trigeminal autonomic cephalgias (TACs). TACs are primary headaches that share the same clinical features being unilateral with obtrusive cranial parasympathetic features. SUNCT is a rare primary headache disorder where the first case was reported in 1978. Since then, merely 100 cases were reported in the literature. A study from Australia estimated prevalence of 6.6/100,000 and annual incidence of 1.2/100,000. Even though SUNCT is rare and it is rarer for the patient to seek dental treatment, these few patients deserve the accurate diagnosis and the ideal referral. Knowing this neurovascular syndrome will help the dentist not to misdiagnose the case and deliver unnecessary dental treatment in order to doubtfully relieve the non-odontogenic pain. In this presentation, we will discuss SUNCT clinical features; presenting a case that has been seen, treated and reported to literature by our clinic. Moreover, we will present few clinical cases that have been reported in the dental literature and show how important it is for the dentist to infer that some non-odontogenic pain can be mistakenly identified as dental pain.

Biography :

Yaqoub Yousef Alabouh has completed his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from University of Missouri-Kansas City. Later, he joined the Advanced General Dentistry Program at University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he also earned his Master of Science degree with concentration in Neuroscience and Pain. He has achieved American Board of General Dentistry Board Certification in 2013. Later, he got into Orofacial Pain program at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, New Jersey. He successfully challenged the American Board of Orofacial Pain and became a Diplomate of the ABOP. Currently, he is working as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at Kuwait University.

E-mail: yaqoub@hsc.edu.kw