Accessory mental nerve: case report, review and its role in trigeminal neuralgia.

The presence of accessory mental nerve (AMN) is rare and only few cases have been reported. Peripheral neurectomy of the mental nerve is one of the treatments of choice in cases of trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) affecting the mental nerve. Failure to remove the mental nerve with all its branches completely is the main reason behind its regrowth leading to recurrence of the disease. Presence of AMN may be missed out during routine surgery leading to persistence of the neuralgic pain associated with the AMN. The purpose of this article is to present a case where an AMN was found accidently after excision of the mental nerve in a case of TGN. The AMN was dissected to its complete length and excised. The patient was followed up on monthly basis and there was no recurrence found 24 months postoperatively.