A number of conditions may be associated with the onset of trigeminal neuralgia.
Pathogenic mechanisms include:
(1) demyelination
(2) post-infectious
(3) neurovascular compression or traction
(4) genetic
Conditions associated with trigeminal neuralgia include:
(1) multiple sclerosis (MS)
(2) bony compression along course of CN V
(3) compression in Meckel cave
(4) mass lesion (tumor or cyst) along course of CN V
(5) mass lesion (tumor or cyst) at the cerebellopontine angle
(6) arteriovenous malformation or vascular anomaly along course of CN V
(7) arterial dissection
(8) small infarcts of medulla and pons
(9) amyloid infiltration
(10) fibrosis around nerve root
(11) compression by a microsurgical aneurysm clip
(12) post-herpetic
(13) post-traumatic or post-surgical
(14) neurosarcoidosis
(15) sphenoid sinusitis
(16) familial
(17) anaplasmosis
(18) systemic sclerosis
A small percent of patients may have no identified cause (idiopathic).
