Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia Associated With Cardiac Arrest and Convulsions

GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL neuralgia, while occurring with much less frequency than trigeminal neuralgia, is not a rare disease, and its classic symptomatology is well known. The first case reported was that of Weisenburg 1 in 1910. In 1924 Adson 2 reported 4 cases, in all of which the condition was treated by extracranial avulsion. However, since this was a difficult surgical operation, Adson described and suggested intracranial section of the nerve. In 1927 Dandy 3 first reported 2 cases in which cure was obtained by intracranial section through a unilateral cerebellar approach. Spurling and Grantham 4 reviewed the literature in 1942 and reported a single case with separate trigger points in the throat and the ear. It was clearly demonstrated by them that with two trigger zones section of the upper two strands of the vagus nerve is essential for relief of symptoms. Anatomically, the glossopharyngeal nerve is a mixed nerve, arising