Unilateral trismus in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia due to microvascular compression of the trigeminal motor root

To our knowledge, only one prior case of trismus due to vascular compression has been reported. This was caused by vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia associated with multiple cranial neuropathies and was not treated surgical1y.t We report a case of unilateral trismus associated with typical trigeminal neuralgia, refractory to medical therapy, alleviated by microvascular decompression. The relevant anatomy of the trigeminal nerve is discussed, along with the pathophysiology and differential diagnosis.