Excision of the spinal trigeminal tract. Electron microscopy

In nine patients with trigeminal neuralgia excision of the trigeminal tract was performed instead of tractotomy. In eight of the patients neuralgia was cured. One female patient died due to occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Electron microscopy disclosed first of all changes in the myelin sheaths. The majority of the changes were non-specific. Only degenerative hypermyelinization was considered to be characteristic for trigeminal neuralgia.