Vascular compression: cause of trigeminal neuralgia.

Fifty patients with trigeminal neuralgia have been operated upon, and the site of origin of the fifth nerve from the pons has been explored. Forty-four of these patients were demonstrated to have vascular compression at this point, and relief of the vascular compression resulted in pain relief in all of these patients, although two patients experienced some recurrence of pain. The maximum follow-up period is now six years. It is considered that the most common cause of trigeminal neuralgia is vascular compression of the fifth nerve at the nerve root entry zone.