title: Association of vascular compression in trigeminal neuralgia versus other "facial pain syndromes" by magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 13 patients with trigeminal neuralgia and 18 control patients with facial pain of other types. Among trigeminal neuralgia patients, eight (62%) had vessels seen abutting, or immediately adjacent to, the trigeminal nerve on the side of their symptoms. Only three control patients (17%) had such vessels. The proportion of patients having a trigeminal region vessel associated with their symptoms was significantly higher in patients with trigeminal neuralgia than in controls (p = 0.0086). These findings provide evidence supporting the theory that trigeminal neuralgia is associated with vascular compression of the fifth cranial nerve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0433.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sahni
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000098:blood supply*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis