Microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia due to vertebrobasilar artery compression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) caused by vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) compression is a rare event, reported between 2 and 6% (Linskey et al. J Neurosurg 81:1-9, 1992 , Vanaclocha et al.World Neurosurg 96:516-529, 2016 ) of the time. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is advised for drug-resistant pain and, although technically challenging, is associated with an excellent outcome in current literature (Apra et al.Neurosurg Rev 40:577-582, 2017 , Cruccuet al. EurJ Neurol 15:1013-1028, 2008 , Linskey et al. J Neurosurg 81:1-9, 1992 ). The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature examining the rate of MVD for trigeminal neuralgia caused by VBA compression and the post-operative outcome. The systematic search of three databases was performed for studies published between January 1990 and October 2020. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the analyzed outcomes, and random-effects meta-regression was used to examine the association between the effect size and potential confounders. Funnel plot followed by Egger’s linear regression was used to test publication bias. We included 9 studies, and the overall rate of TN due to VBA compression was 3.4% (95% CI 2.5–4.3%, p < 0.01, I 2 = 67.9%) among all MVD for TN. Immediately after surgery, 96% ( p < 0.01, I 2 = 0%) of patients were pain-free, and at last follow-up, approximately 93% ( p < 0.01, I 2 = 0%) of patients were classified as BNI I–II. Hearing impairment and facial numbness were the most common long-term complications ensuing MVD for VBA compression (5% and 13%, respectively). In conclusion, the surgical management of trigeminal neuralgia caused by VBA compression is associated with good outcome and low rate of post-operative complications. Further studies are needed to analyze the long-term results and the rate of pain recurrence among this population.