Cranial nerve cavernous malformations causing trigeminal neuralgia and chiasmal apoplexy: Report of 2 cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Cavernous malformations (CMs) confined to the cranial nerves (CN) are extremely rare lesions. CASE DESCRIPTION: The authors report 2 cases of CMs, one involving the trigeminal nerve presenting with a 3 years history of a refractory right trigeminal neuralgia that was microsurgically resected by a retromastoid approach with resolution of the neuralgia; and another CM involving the chiasma with an abrupt onset of vision loss with acute intralesional bleeding that was removed through a right pterional approach with vision improvement. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection is recommended in the context of progressive significant neurological deficit, emergency decompression as a result of recent hemorrhage for symptomatic relief or increase in size on serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).