Microvascular Decompression for Classical Trigeminal Neuralgia Caused by Venous Compression: Novel Anatomic Classifications and Surgical Strategy.

Background: Microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve is the most effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. However, when encountering classical trigeminal neuralgia caused by venous compression, the procedure becomes much more difficult, and failure or recurrence because of incomplete decompression may become frequent. This study aimed to investigate the anatomic variation of the culprit veins and discuss the surgical strategy for different types.