The Etiology of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

The etiology in the great majority of cases of tic douloureux remains as much of a mystery today¹ as in the day of Fothergill.² In the present study a structural variation of the base of the skull is reported which is compatible with the clinical symptomatology and the natural history of this disease and may explain why no specific lesions have been found. The Structural Variant For reasons to be discussed subsequently, it seems reasonable to believe that the causal factor in trigeminal neuralgia may be a structural abnormality, related probably toaging and other factors. The possibility that the relationship of the gasserian (semilunar) ganglion to the internal carotid artery might provide an explanation for trigeminal neuralgia occurred to the writer when studying the relations of the ganglion at the base of the skull and noting the considerable degree of individual variation. To try to determine whether this