Trigeminal neuralgia caused by a choroid plexus papilloma of the cerebellopontine angle: case report and review of the literature.

This report describes a 59-year old woman with a rare choroid plexus papilloma of the cerebellopontine angle presenting with trigeminal neuralgia. The patient was admitted complaining of a 12-year history of paroxysmal lancinating pain throughout the right side of her face. Treatment with carbamazepine, Chinese medicine and a peripheral neurectomy had not relieved the pain. At operation, a 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 cm neoplasm was found in the cerebellopontine angle, which was firmly adherent to the roots of the seventh and eighth cranial nerves and the brainstem. There was no apparent tumour bulk or vascular compression around the trigeminal nerve root entry zone. Subtotal tumour excision and selective partial rhizotomy were performed. The patient's facial pain gradually resolved. Involvement of the trigeminal nucleus in the brainstem by the cerebellopontine angle tumour is suggested as the possible cause for trigeminal neuralgia in this case.