Magnetic resonance tomographic angiography and neuroendoscope in determining the etiology of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia

Abstract

Objective To explore the role of magnetic resonance tomographic angiography (MRTA) and neuroendoscope in determining the etiology of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Methods Forty-nine patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia, performed microvascular decompression were chosen; their clinical data, imaging data and operative data were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent preoperative MRTA; and before placing intraoperative Teflon, 30° neuroendoscope was applied for multi-angle exploration. Results Positive rate reached 77.6% under MRTA. All patients with positive results under MRTA were confirmed, without a false-positive. Neuroendoscope helped to determine whether the suspect vessels were the offending vessels in 4 patients. The total effective rate in 49 patients was 97.9%; pain disappeared in 47 patients (95.9%) and pain relieved in 1 (2.0%).Conclusion MRTA and neuroendoscope can help to determine the etiology of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia, and improve the safety and effectiveness of MVD. Key words: Magnetic resonance tomographic angiography; Neuroendoscope; Trigeminal neuralgia