Abstract
A combination of MRI, MR angiography and MR tomographic angiography (MRTA) was used to study the relationship to the root exit zone of the trigeminal nerve to surrounding vascular structures in seven patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and ten patients with no evidence at a lesion in this region. MRTA is the technique for showing the relationship between vessels, cranial nerves and brain stem. MRTA clearly demonstrated the presence of a vessel at the root exit zone of the trigeminal nerve in all patients with TN. In the ten other patients, examination of 20 trigeminal nerves revealed that only one nerve (5%) was in contact with a vessel at the root exit zone. This study supports vascular compression of trigeminal nerves as a cause of TN, and demonstrates the value of MRTA as noninvasive technique for demonstrating compression.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dandy WE (1934) Concerning the cause of trigeminal neuralgia. Am J Surg 24:447–455
Jannetta PJ (1967) Arterial compression of the trigeminal nerve at the pons in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. J Neurosurg 26:159–162
Jannetta PJ (1976) Microsurgical approach to the trigeminal nerve for tic douloureux. Prog Neurol Surg 7:180–200
Jannetta PJ (1990) Neurovascular compression in cranial nerve and systemic disease. Ann Surg 192:518–525
Tash R, DeMerritt, Sze G, Lesille D (1991) Hemifacial spasm: MR imaging features. AJNR 12:839–842
Adler CH, Zimmerman RA, Savino PJ, Bernardi B, Bisley TM, Sergott RC (1992) Hemifacial spasm: evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance tomographic angiography. Ann Neurol 32:502–506
Sobel D, Norman D, Yorke CH, Newton TH (1980) Radiography of trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. AJR 135:93–959
Wong BY, Steinberg GK, Rosen L (1989) Magnetic resonance imaging of vascular compression in trigeminal-neuralgia. Case report. J Neurosurg 70: 132–134
Darlow LA, Brooks ML, Quinn PD (1992) Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 50:621–626
Furuya Y, Ryu H, Uemura K, Sugiyama K, Isoda H, Hasegawa S, Takahashi M, Kaneko M (1992) MRI of intracranial neurovascular compression. J Comput Assist Tomogr 16:503–505
Coad JE, Wirtschafter JD, Haines SJ, et al (1991) Familial hemifacial spasm associated with arterial compression of the facial nerve: case report. J Neurosurg 74:290–296
Nielsen VK, Jannetta PJ (1984) Pathophysiology of hemifacial spasm. III. Effects of facial nerve decompression. Neurology 34:891–897
Haines SJ, Jannetta PJ, Zorub DS (1980) Microvascular relations of the trigeminal nerve. An anatomical study with clinical correlation. J Neurosurg 52:381–386
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Umchara, F., Kamishima, K., Kashio, N. et al. Magnetic resonance tomographic angiography: diagnostic value in trigeminal neuralgia. Neuroradiology 37, 353–355 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588010
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588010