[Etiology and therapy of trigeminal neuralgia]

Trigeminal neuralgia is an exactly defined syndrome with a non-uniform aetiology but an obviously uniform pathogenesis. A subdivision in an idiopathic and a symptomatic type is non-essential. In a part of the cases microvascular compression of the sensory root may be the cause of trigeminal neuralgia but there are some good arguments against this concept. Other causes such as multiple sclerosis, acoustic neuroma or carotid aneurysm are well known. The principle of neurosurgical procedures is either an interruption of the pain-conducting fibres or a non-specific manipulation at the Gasserian ganglion or the sensory root with the result of an interruption of abnormal ephapses and short-circuits which may recur later on. So microvascular decompression should not be considered to be a specific and causal therapeutic approach as well as the therapy of first choice for all cases.