Figure 10. Neurovascular contact with the trigeminal nerve in an asymptomatic 31-year-old male subject. Sagittal oblique reconstruction from a 3D-FISP study shows a vessel crossing the left trigeminal nerve at the root entry zone (arrow). Vascular compression is the cause of trigeminal neuralgia in many patients with symptoms unresponsive to medical treatment, but it is important to remember that small vessels may also be found in the vicinity of the trigeminal nerve in up to 27% of normal subjects [8].
