Neurovascular conflicts of the posterior cranial fossa

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Surgical treatment of secondary trigeminal neuralgia. S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. 2024;(11):203-209

Neurovascular conflict (NVC) is a condition caused by the contact of a neurovascular structures with cranial nerves (CN) which resulted in the compression and dysfunction of the latter. Currently, the cases of NVC with all CN, with the exception of the olfactory nerve, have been described. NVC is an interdisciplinary medical problem, patients with NVC need the careful differential diagnosis and different treatment approaches. Necessity of neurosurgical intervention arises when conservative treatment is ineffective and intolerable. The key point of microvascular decompression is the moving the offending vessel and placing a sponge between the nerve and the vessel. Before the invention of high-field MRI, the diagnosis of NVC was based on the clinical picture and response to conservative treatment and the surgical treatment sometimes had an explorative character. The development of MRI and MR-angiography protocols has made the diagnosis of NVC much easier. The authors consider epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of NVC of the posterior cranial fossa.

Keywords:

neurovascular conflict

microvascular decompression

trigeminal neuralgia

Authors:

Dash'jan V.G.

GBOU VPO «MGMSU im. A.I. Evdokimova» Minzdrava Rossii, Moskva;
GBUZ «NII skoroj pomoschi im. N.V. Sklifosovskogo» Departamenta zdravoohranenija Moskvy, Moskva

Nikitin A.S.

Gorodskaia klinicheskaia bol'nitsa #12, Moskva

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