[Management of trigeminal neuralgia by microvascular decompression]

The experience with a series of 28 posterior fossa exploration and microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia is presented. All the patients were treated with carbamazepine previously and some of them were operated on by destructive methods. The diagnostic work-up consisted of an accurate history, CT or MRI in all cases, and recently (in 17 cases) the vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve was demonstrated directly by MR angiography in the plane of the trigeminal nerve. Microvascular decompression was performed through a suboccipital retromastoid craniotomy. At the operations 21 arterial, 4 venous, 2 combined (arterial + venous) and 1 arachnoid band compression were found. The mean follow up was 30 months. Immediate pain relief was achieved in all cases but one, and there were two recurrences 6 and 12 months later (both of them were venous compression), which have been controllable medically since then. There were 3 permanent hypaesthesia of the face (one of them loss of corneal reflex), 2 hypacusis, 1 cerebrospinal fluid leakage and 1 cerebellar edema as complications. Microvascular decompression is a safe and effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia and advised if the medical treatment is failed, the patient suitable for general anaesthesia, and there is the evidence of vascular compression of trigeminal nerve on MR angiography.