Tonsillar pain mimicking glossopharyngeal neuralgia as a complication of vagus nerve stimulation: Case report

An adolescent girl presented with severe, lancinating tonsillar pain exacer bated by swallowing 6 weeks after initiation of left vagus nerve stimulatio n for intractable epilepsy. Her symptoms mimicked those seen glossopharynge al neuralgia and were relieved by temporary cessation of stimulation. Gradu al reinstitution of therapy with alteration in stimulus parameters resulted in improved seizure control as well as cessation of pain symptoms. Direct stimulation of the vagus nerve may result in vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia , which, in this case, was amenable to stimulus modification.