Alteration of Sensibility in Trigeminal Neuralgia Before and After Selective Section of the Root by Posterior Approach

The interest for our study originated from Dandy’s initial observations after juxtapontine section of the trigeminal root for tic douloureux in 1929. He described the accessory fibers between the principal sensory root and the motor root, whose preservation after section of the major sensory root could explain touch sensory sparing of the face. Similar observations were reported by Jannetta and Rand (1967) and by Provost and Hardy (1970) after microsurgical section of the major trigeminal root and preservation of the intermediate or accessory fibers. They reported disappearance of pain associated with thermo-analgesia but touch sensory sparing particularly in the territory of the first branch.