[Diagnosis of vascular compression of the trigeminal and glossopharyngeal nerve roots]

Sixty-four patients with trigeminal and 12 with glossopharyngeal neuralgia were examined. Use was made of trigeminal and glossopharyngeal somatosensory evoked potentials (TSEP and GSEP). These results were compared to the finding during surgery in exploration of the cerebellopontile angle. Recording of TSEP and GSEP was found to be of high diagnostic value for the establishment of vascular compression of the nervous radicle in the cerebellopontile angle to determine indications for microvascular decompression.