Trigeminal neuralgia due to an acoustic neuroma in the cerebellopontine angle

J Orofac Pain. 2000 Spring;14(2):147-51.

Abstract

This case report first reviews the intracranial tumors associated with symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Among patients with TN-like symptoms, 6 to 16% are variously reported to have intracranial tumors. The most common cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor to cause TN-like symptoms is a benign tumor called an acoustic neuroma. The reported clinical symptoms of the acoustic neuroma are hearing deficits (60 to 97%), tinnitus (50 to 66%), vestibular disturbances (46 to 59%), numbness or tingling in the face (33%), headache (19 to 29%), dizziness (23%), facial paresis (17%), and trigeminal nerve disturbances (hypesthesia, paresthesia, and neuralgia) (12 to 45%). Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium enhancement or computed tomography with contrast media are each reported to have excellent abilities to detect intracranial tumors (92 to 93%). This article then reports a rare case of a young female patient who was mistakenly diagnosed and treated for a temporomandibular disorder but was subsequently found to have an acoustic neuroma located in the CPA.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cerebellar Neoplasms / complications*
  • Cerebellopontine Angle / pathology
  • Contrast Media
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Gadolinium
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neuroma, Acoustic / complications*
  • Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / diagnosis
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia / etiology*

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gadolinium