Is Trigeminal neuralgia hereditary?

For those of you who are wondering whether Trigeminal neuralgia is hereditary, the short answer is ‘ not really’. Having said that, there are cases reported where TN runs in families.

Can Trigeminal neuralgia be Familial?

Familial TN is unusual by all means. It is likely to be less than 2 or 3% of all TN patients. It is possible that patients inherit their familial ‘make-up’ of blood vessel contours or laxity, or lengths…we don’t know. Generally the familial type of Trigeminal neuralgia is on the same side in all affected family members.

Can Trigeminal neuralgia be inherited? Can TN be genetically transmitted?

The chances are so slim, that it’s not worth losing good sleep over it.

Have I seen a case of familial Trigeminal neuralgia?

‘No. I have only read case reports. It is likely that this condition is so rare, that one need not be too worried about it.’ Dr Jaydev Panchwagh answers.

Can children be affected with Trigeminal neuralgia?

Though it is unusual, it is not impossible. Diagnosing TN in children may be a problem, because they may not be able to express their problem clearly.

Parents ought to be more observant and help in establishing patterns.

There are reports of Microvascular Decompression surgery being done even in young children to treat them of the Trigeminal neuralgia pain.

My father and I both have Trigeminal Neuralgia. Is this hereditary? Will my children also have it?

It is possible that there are certain anatomical variations in either the brain and skull, or in the blood vessels that have predisposed both of you to have it. We just have to wait and see if it gets passed on to the next generation.

The youngest patient Dr Jaydev Panchwagh, a renowned Indian neurosurgeon  has operated on is a girl of 22 years, who had been having it for five years. The operation was performed at his centre for MVD in Pune, India.  With an experience of more than a thousand trigeminal neuralgia surgeries, he is one of the best neurosurgeons for such delicate and specialized operations.

You may watch his Youtube channel for more on MVD surgery for Trigeminal neuralgia treatment.

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