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Encircling method of trigeminal nerve decompression for neuralgia caused by tortuous vertebrobasilar artery:
Y Yoshimoto1, M Noguchi, Y Tsutsumi
1Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, Japan.
Background:
Surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia caused by dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery presents a difficult problem because of the immobility and the stiffness of the atherosclerotic vessel walls.
Methods And Results:
A patient with trigeminal neuralgia was treated by a new method of vascular decompression. Preoperative studies demonstrated a dolichoectatic vertebrobasilar artery, and compression of the trigeminal nerve by the artery was confirmed during surgery. The fifth nerve was mobilized away from the artery using a ring-shaped piece of silicone rubber. Postoperatively, the facial pain completely resolved without complication.
Conclusions:
Trigeminal neuralgia due to nerve compression by tortuous vertebrobasilar artery was successfully treated by an encircling method of vascular decompression.