====== Trigeminal nerve cisternal portion ======

The [[trigeminal nerve]] exits at the mid pons anteriorly, courses through the [[prepontine cistern]] (cisternal portion) to enter [[Meckel cave]] (cavernous portion) where its fibers form the [[trigeminal ganglion]], which is also known as the [[Gasserian ganglion]] or semilunar ganglion.
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In 2013 Goodwin et al., performed a analysis of [[Retrosigmoid approach for glycerin rhizotomy]] of patients who received standard [[microvascular decompression]] 

There were eleven [[female]]s and three [[male]]s with an average age at time of surgery of 54.8 years. 100% of patients reported that their trigeminal pain was significantly improved following surgical [[intervention]]. Four out of fourteen patients reported a 50-80% decrease from the pre-surgery baseline pain at one month and three month follow up. One patient developed a [[CSF]] [[leak]], and no surgical site [[infection]]s or [[motor deficit]]s were observed.

Intra-operative glycerin rhizotomy in conjunction with [[microvascular decompression]] can be used to safely treat patients suffering from [[trigeminal neuralgia]]
((Goodwin CR, Yang JX, Bettegowda C, Hwang B, James C, Biser A, Raza S, Bender
M, Carson B, Lee JY, Lim M. Glycerol rhizotomy via a retrosigmoid approach as an 
alternative treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2013
Dec;115(12):2454-6. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2013.09.009. Epub 2013 Sep 25. PubMed
PMID: 24161889.
)).