Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Flow-diverting stent relieves nerve pain from vertebrobasilar artery
By Yang J.·2026·Department of Neurosurgery, China·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Secondary trigeminal neuralgia caused by vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia treated with flow-diverting stent reconstruction: a case report.
Plain-English summary
A 66-year-old man had a rare condition called vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD), which was causing him painful episodes of secondary trigeminal neuralgia, a type of facial pain linked to nerve compression. After confirming his diagnosis with imaging and clinical tests, doctors treated him by placing a special stent in one of his arteries to improve blood flow and relieve the pressure on the nerve. By six days after the surgery, he reported no pain at all. The treatment was successful, and he did not experience any more painful attacks.
Abstract
Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is a rare clinical condition that occasionally causes secondary trigeminal neuralgia through compression of the trigeminal nerve. Reported treatment methods include oral carbamazepine, microvascular decompression, percutaneous balloon compression, and gamma knife radiosurgery; however, outcomes are often limited, and symptom recurrence is common. Moreover, many of these therapeutic approaches are associated with significant adverse effects. In June 2025, a 66-year-old man presented with VBD-induced secondary trigeminal neuralgia. His diagnosis was confirmed through imaging and clinical studies upon admission. The patient was treated by placing a flow-diverting stent in one vertebrobasilar artery and occluding the contralateral vertebral artery, to reconstruct the blood flow and reduce compression of the trigeminal nerve. The surgical outcome was favorable, with no painful attacks and a visual analogue scale pain score of 0 by postoperative Day 6.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41978812