Tentorial dural arteriovenous malformation manifesting as trigeminal neuralgia treated by stereotactic radiosurgery: a case report

Background: Tentorial dAVMs as a cause of trigeminal neuralgia are extremely rare. Consensus exists that radical treatment of such high-flow dAVMs should be considered because of their high risk of bleeding. The authors present a case of a 50-year-old man who presented with symptoms of tic douloureux caused by tentorial dAVM, which was treated successfully by SRS. Case Description: The patient consulted us with a 1-month history of harboring right trigeminal neuralgia. The cerebral angiography revealed a dAVM in the petrotentorial region and the MRI demonstrated a dilated petrosal venous varix compressing the root entry zone of the right trigeminal nerve. Gamma knife surgery was performed with a marginal dose of 18 Gy and a maximum dose of 30 Gy in a volume of 0.3 mL. The target point of the radiosurgery for this patient was a fistula identified by superselective angiography, enhanced computed tomography, and MRI. Follow-up MRI, 1 year after GKS, showed a thrombosed lesion, and the patient was able to end medication. There was no evidence of recurrence or adverse effects in the 3-year follow-up. Conclusion: Stereotactic radiosurgery can play an effective role as a treatment modality for such unusual dAVMs. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.