Trigeminal neuralgia due to an acoustic neuroma in the cerebellopontine angle

This case report first reviews the intracranial tumors associated with symp toms of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Among patients with TN-like symptoms, 6 to 16% are variously reported to have intracranial tumors. The most common cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor to cause TN-like symptoms is a benign tu mor called an acoustic neuroma. The reported clinical symptoms of the acous tic neuroma are hearing deficits (60 to 97%), tinnitus (50 to 66%), vestibu lar disturbances (46 to 59%), numbness or tingling in the face (33%), heada che (19 to 29%), dizziness (23%), facial paresis (17%), and trigeminal nerv e disturbances (hypesthesia, paresthesia, and neuralgia) (12 to 45%). Magne tic resonance imaging with gadolinium enhancement or computed tomography wi th contrast media are each reported to have excellent abilities to detect i ntracranial tumors (92 to 93%). This article then reports a rare case of a young female patient who was mistakenly diagnosed and treated for a temporo mandibular disorder but was subsequently found to have an acoustic neuroma located in the CPA.