Trigeminal neuralgia associated with cerebellopontine angle lipoma in childhood

Cerebellopontine angle lipomas are rare and more rarely associated with trigeminal neuralgia especially in childhood. Medical treatment provides relief from the pain; however, the effect may not be permanent. Surgical treatment is associated with a high morbidity rate; therefore, surgery should be considered only in intractable cases. In this article we describe the clinical course and radiological features of a 6-year-old girl with a cerebellopontine angle lipoma who presented with a 4-year history of left-side trigeminal neuralgia, especially in the mandibular area. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extra-axial fatty mass at the level of the 'dorsal-entry zone' of the trigeminal nerve. The pain improved with carbamazepine therapy.