Manzoor Ahmad, Abdul Majid, Rizwan Butt, Nazir Ahmad.
Peroperative findings of microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia: a study of 102 patients.
Surgimed Med Dent J Jan ;1(1):9-13.

Objectives: To find out the frequency of different vessels compressing trigeminal nerve at root entry zone preoperatively during micro vascular decompression. Design: This was an analytical, retrospective study. Place of Study: The study was conducted at the department of neurosurgery unit-I, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. The study period was five years, from January 2001 to December 2005. Methods: All the patients who presented with intractable trigeminal neuralgia and were treated with microvascular decompression were included in the study. Per operative findings regarding the different vessels compressing the trigeminal nerve in the root entry zone were noted and the records analyzed . Results: Out of the total 102 patients, males were 68 (66.7%) and females were 34 (33.3%) with male: female ratio of 2:1. The maximum number of patients was in the 6th decade of life (29.4%) followed by 7th (19.6%) and 5th decades (17.6%). Peroperatively, an arterial loop was found compressing the 5th nerve in the root entry zone in 73.5% patients, only vein in 13.7% and an artery and a vein in 8.8%. Conclusion: An arterial loop compressing the trigeminal nerve at root entry zone is the commonest finding at microvascular decompression (73.5%), followed by only vein in 13.7% an artery and a vein combined (8.8%).one.

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