Trigeminal neurinomas: surgical considerations

Abstract

Trigeminal neurinomas, second only to acoustic lesions in incidence among neurinomas, exhibit characteristic clinical, radiographic, and anatomical features the understanding of which is crucial to accurate diagnosis and efficient surgical planning. Compared to other lesions of the region, the surgery of trigeminal neurinomas demands unique consideration. Others have stressed the importance of radical surgery (emphasizing that only total resection leads to ‘cure’), and recurrence rates following partial resection, particularly of cystic tumors, is higher for trigeminal neurinomas than acoustic neurinomas [15].