Unilateral facial pain as a rare presentation of bronchial carcinoma

Summary Two cases are described in which unilateral facial pain was the presenting symptom of inoperable bronchial carcinoma. In each case the tumour involved the upper lobe of the lung with involvement of the contiguous mediastinum, either due to direct invasion or adenopathy. In the first patient the diagnosis was delayed due to the unusual presentation, and in the second patient a routine chest X‐ray was diagnostic. The varied presentation of bronchial carcinoma is discussed, and the anatomical basis for referred pain due to pressure on the vagus nerve in the upper mediastinum is described.