AMYLOIDOMA OF THE GASSERIAN GANGLION AS A CAUSE OF SYMPTOMATIC NEURALGIA OF THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE - REPORT OF 3 CASES

Three cases of symptomatic neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve due to an amyloidoma in the gasserian ganglion are described. The correct diagn osis was not made prior to histological examination of the surgical bi opsy specimens. Medical history and clinical observation led to the di agnosis of a malignant process of the nasal cavities in the first pati ent; of an inflammatory dental focus in the second patient; and of mul tiple sclerosis in the third patient. CT findings were normal in cases 1 and 2; in case 3, a schwannoma was suspected from the CT appearance s. In case 1, MRI had not been performed; in cases 2 and 3, MRI reveal ed a tumour mass which was also considered to be a schwannoma. Histolo gically, the tumours consisted of masses of amyloid deposits which had largely replaced the pre-existing ganglionic cells and satellite cell s. Electron microscopy confirmed the fibrillar structure of the deposi ts. Immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry revealed the amyloid to belong to the AL-lambda subtype.