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Updated: Aug 28, 2025
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Isolated hypoglossal nerve neuropathy in vertebral dolichoectasia: Microvascular decompression by vessel
Artem Rafaelyan1, Dmitry V Svistov1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Military-Medical Academy S. M. Kirov, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation.
Background:
A clinical case of isolated unilateral hypoglossal nerve (HN) neuropathy, which spontaneously occurred from vertebral artery dolichoectasia and was cured by a new method of microvascular decompression by transposition of the vertebral artery using the Teflon cuff.
Case Description:
A young patient with an anamnesis of the disease for more than 4 years and complaints of a deviation of the tongue to the right and dysarthria was examined. MRI of the brain revealed compression of the medulla oblongata by an elongated, dilated, and deformed right vertebral artery. Compression of the medulla oblongata and HN was confirmed during surgery. A transposition of the vertebral artery was performed using a Teflon cuff in the ventral direction to the clivus. Three months after surgery, positive dynamics was noted in the form of regression of dysarthria and improvement of mobility and trophic language.
Conclusion:
Thus, isolated HN neuropathy as a result of compression by an elongated, dilated, and deformed vertebral artery is a rare neurological disease that can be successfully treated by transposition using a Teflon cuff.
