Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Subcutaneous Trigeminal Nerve Field Stimulation for Refractory Facial Pain
Published on: May 10, 2017
[The role of platybasia in trigeminal neuralgia]
J Abarca-Olivas1, A P Sempere, J J Cortés-Vela
1Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, E-03010 Alicante, Espana. jabarca80@hotmail.com
Introduction:
The vascular compression of a nerve is known to be the most important cause of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) by most authors. However, several cases of skull base deformities in patients with ITN have been reported in our bibliographic review. AIM. To compare the existence of platybasia between a group of patients with ITN and a randomized control group.
Subjects And Methods:
Twenty-five patients with ITN and twenty-five control subjects were X-rayed and their basal angles were measured and compared.
Results:
The basal angle measured to investigate the existence of platybasia is significantly greater in the ITN group than in the control group. Platybasia was found in 10 patients with ITN. However, only two cases of platybasia were reported in the control group. Therefore in our study we have found that the incidence of platybasia in patients with ITN is significantly increased.
Conclusion:
Our data demonstrated that platybasia has an important role in the pathogenesis of the ITN by altering the normal anatomy of the nerves and vessels within the posterior fossa.
Related Concept Videos
Cranial Nerves: Types Part I
Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is unique as it is purely sensory and dedicated to the sense of smell. This nerve originates in the olfactory epithelium of the...
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Cytoskeletal Linker Proteins - Plakins
Blood and Nerve Supply to the Bones
Nutrient Artery
The nutrient artery is the main blood vessel that enters the diaphysis via the nutrient foramen. While most long bones have only one nutrient foramen, large bones, such as the femur, may have two. This...
