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Case Reports
. 2019 Jul-Dec;10(2):249-252.
doi: 10.4103/njms.NJMS_2_19. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

Trigeminal neuralgia secondary to cerebellopontine angle tumor: A case report and brief overview

Chander Prakash  1 , Nishi Tanwar  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Trigeminal neuralgia secondary to cerebellopontine angle tumor: A case report and brief overview

Chander Prakash et al. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2019 Jul-Dec.

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a paroxysmal shock-like pain restricted to innervations of the areas of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve, often set off by light stimuli in a trigger zone. Pain attacks occur spontaneously and can also be triggered by a nonpainful sensory stimulus to the skin, intraoral mucosa surrounding the teeth, or tongue. The pathogenesis of TN is uncertain and typically is idiopathic, but it may be due to a structural lesion. Some pathologies include traumatic compression of the trigeminal nerve by neoplastic or vascular anomalies and intracranial tumors or demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis. This case report describes an epidermoid cyst at the cerebellopontine angle in a 25-year-old young man with otherwise classical unilateral TN. The case highlights the difficulties of diagnosis and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in making the correct diagnosis in symptomatic as well as classical TN.

Keywords: Cerebellopontine angle; epidermoid cyst; neurosurgery; trigeminal neuralgia.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a and b) T2-weighted image (axial and coronal images). T2-weighted image in axial and coronal section showing a lobulated, poorly marginated, extra-axial mass lesion in left cerebellopontine angle cistern, and extending to the left lateral pontine, medullary, and premedullary cistern. The lesion is slightly hyperintense to cerebrospinal fluid with small internal soft-tissue component with heterogeneous signal intensity, likely to be epidermoid
Figure 2
Figure 2
Diffusion-weighted image. Diffusion restricted image of same patient showing hyperintense signal which is likely to be a combination of restricted diffusion and T2 shine through as is seen in epidermoids
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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