Experience of 101 cases of cranial nerve disease treated by microvascular decompression

Abstract

Objective To summarize the clinical experience of microvascular decompression in the treatment of cranial nerve diseases. Methods A total of 101 patients with cranial neuropathy treated in Yuncheng Central Hospital from March 2015 to June 2018 were selected, including 56 cases of trianalgia, 41 cases of hemifacial spasm, 3 cases of glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and 1 case of trigeminal neuralgia with hemifacial spasm. All the patients underwent microvascular decompression (MVD), and were followed up to observe the therapeutic effects. Results All patients were followed up for 1 to 36 months, with an average of 12.1 months. Among the 101 patients, the total effective rate was 99.00%, the cure rate was 95.00% (96/101); during the follow-up period, the cure rate was 94.00% (95/101), and the recurrence rate was 0.99% (1/101). After treatment, facial numbness occurred in 3 cases, facial paralysis and hearing loss in 1 case, hearing ability decrease in 2 cases, transient dizziness and tinnitus in 3 cases, transient dysphagia in 1 case, drinking water cough in 1 case, and cerebrospinal fluid ear leak in 1 case, but the patient relieved simultaneously after 2-week bed rest. Five patients had aseptic meningitis, which were cured at discharge. Conclusions Microvascular decompression is effective in the treatment of cranial nerve diseases, and this technique has a tendency to be used in more fields. The position and type of responsible blood vessels in the operation vary greatly. It is necessary to pay attention not only to preoperative diagnosis and evaluation, but also to the standardization operation to reduce complications. Key words: Microvascular decompression; Cranial nerve disease; Preoperative assessment; Responsible blood vessels; Surgical complications