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The anatomy of vascular compression in trigeminal neuralgia
Author(s) -
Thomas Krystin L.,
Vilensky Joel A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.22157
Subject(s) - medicine , trigeminal neuralgia , superior cerebellar artery , trigeminal nerve , anatomy , posterior inferior cerebellar artery , anterior inferior cerebellar artery , etiology , cerebral arteries , vein , cardiology , radiology , anesthesia , surgery , vertebral artery , basilar artery , aneurysm
The etiological basis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is unknown but vascular (arterial and venous) compression of the trigeminal nerve roots has emerged as the likely cause in most cases. Here we examine the evidence for the “brain sagging/arterial elongation hypothesis” with reference to the cerebral arteries and veins believed to cause the compression. Most often implicated are the superior cerebellar artery, the anterior and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries, and the superior petrosal vein including several of its tributaries. The reviewed data suggest that the theoretical support for a vascular compressive etiology of TN is weak, albeit the surgical outcome data are relatively convincing. Clin. Anat. 27:89–93, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.