[Neurosurgical treatment of vago-glossopharyngeal neuralgia]

Neurochirurgie. 2009 Apr;55(2):231-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2009.01.010. Epub 2009 Mar 18.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia, more accurately called vago-glossopharyngeal neuralgia (VGPN) because of the frequent association with pain irradiation in the sensory territory of the vagus nerve, is not always recognized because its incidence is much lower than the incidence of trigeminal neuralgia (100 times more frequent). As in trigeminal neuralgia, when pain becomes resistant to anticonvulsants - its specific medical treatment - VGPN can almost always be cured by surgery. The first option is microvascular decompression, since vascular compression is the main cause of the neuralgia. Percutaneous thermorhizotomy at the foramen jugularis (pars nervosa) is only indicated as a second option, because of unavoidable sensorimotor deficits in the ninth and tenth nerves. Tractonucleotomies at the medullary level should be reserved essentially for pain of malignant origin.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Cerebral Revascularization
  • Decompression, Surgical
  • Drug Resistance
  • Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases / diagnosis
  • Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases / epidemiology
  • Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases / pathology*
  • Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Neurosurgical Procedures*
  • Radiosurgery
  • Rhizotomy
  • Vagus Nerve / pathology*

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants