[Microvascular decompresion for trigeminal neuralgia, report of 36 cases and literature review].

Background: The aim of this study is to describe the results of 36 patients with trigeminal neuralgia treated with microvascular decompression. Methods: Between June 2005 and May 2012, 36 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were operated by the first author (AC), underwent microvascular decompression. The age, sex, duration of symptoms before surgery, and surgical finds, were all evaluated. In addition, postoperative results were also analyzed. Results: Twenty-five patients were women and 11 were men. The average age of the patients was 48 years. The average time of postoperative follow-up after the surgery was 36 months. Relief from pain until now occurred in 32 patients (88%). Pain recurrence was observed in 4 patients; of those, 2 cases showed a vein compression. Conclusion: The microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia is a safe an effective option. A vein compression could point out an unfavorable follow-up.