MRI of glossopharyngeal neuralgia caused by neurovascular compression

OBJECTIVE. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is rare but causes severe pain. We retrospectively evaluated preoperative MR images of patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia caused by neurovascular compression. CONCLUSION. MRI may be beneficial in patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia and an offending compressing artery. If the offending vessel was the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), a loop formation at the supraolivary fossette was always seen, whereas if it was the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), glossopharyngeal neuralgia was difficult to diagnose before surgery.