TWENTY-5 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE TREATMENT OF TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA - COMPARISON OF 3 DIFFERENT OPERATIVE PROCEDURES IN 49 PATIENTS

A series of 49 patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) were treated by three different surgical procedures: (1) peripheral ablative procedur es in 10 patients; (2) percutaneous rhizotomy in 17 patients and (3) i ntracranial rhizotomy (TR) in 22 patients. On the basis of surgical tr eatment, the concept that neurovascular compression is a mechanical fa ctor in the aetiology of TN was supported in 14 of 18 patients who und erwent posterior fossa exploration. The results support the conclusion that retromastoid craniectomy with IR is the procedure of choice for the majority of patients with TN.