Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Sharma R, Knipe H, et al. Neurovascular compression syndromes. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 24 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-61146
Neurovascular compression syndromes are a form of vascular compression disorders where there is usually compression or distortion of a cranial nerve due to a redundant or aberrant vascular structure.
Clinical presentation
Not all cases of neurovascular contact are clinically symptomatic. Presentation can be extremely variable depending on which structure is compressed. It can range from trigeminal neuralgia or glossopharyngeal neuralgia (somatic sensory), hemifacial spasm (somatic motor), tinnitus and vestibular paroxysmia (special sensory) and some cases of systemic hypertension.
Pathology
They are typically caused by arteries that directly contact the cisternal portion of a cranial nerve. The transition zone between the central and peripheral myelin is considered the most vulnerable region for symptomatic neurovascular compression syndromes.
Specific neurovascular compression clinical syndromes include 1-7:
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3. Ryu H, Yamamoto S, Sugiyama K, Uemura K, Miyamoto T. Hemifacial spasm caused by vascular compression of the distal portion of the facial nerve. Report of seven cases. (1998) Journal of neurosurgery. 88 (3): 605-9. doi:10.3171/jns.1998.88.3.0605 - Pubmed
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4. Haller S, Etienne L, Kövari E, Varoquaux AD, Urbach H, Becker M. Imaging of Neurovascular Compression Syndromes: Trigeminal Neuralgia, Hemifacial Spasm, Vestibular Paroxysmia, and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. (2016) AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology. 37 (8): 1384-92. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A4683 - Pubmed
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5. Jannetta PJ. Neurovascular compression in cranial nerve and systemic disease. (1980) Annals of surgery. 192 (4): 518-25. Pubmed
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6. Goto Y & Inoue T. Abducens Nerve Palsy Due to Neurovascular Compression. World Neurosurg. 2023;178:53-9. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2023.07.019 - Pubmed
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7. Belotti F, Zanin L, Fontanella M, Panciani P. The Oculomotor Neurovascular Conflict: Literature Review and Proposal of Management. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2020;195:105920. doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.105920 - Pubmed
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