Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Spontaneous Meckel's cave hematoma: A rare cause of trigeminal neuralgia
Concetta Alafaci1, Giovanni Grasso2, Francesca Granata3
1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Background:
The most common etiology of classic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is vascular compression. However, other causes must be considered. Among these, spontaneous hematoma of the Meckel's cave (MC) causing symptomatic TN is very rare.
Case Description:
We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with a 2-month history of left TN and diplopia. Neuroradiological examinations revealed a well-defined hematoma in the left MC. The patient underwent surgical decompression with a progressive neurological improvement.
Conclusion:
Despite the number of lesions potentially affecting the MC, spontaneous hemorrhage is rare but should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis.
