Surgical treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia via the pharyngeal approach.
Idiopathic glossopharyngeal neuralgia is an uncommon disorder which often fails to respond to medical treatment. Surgical treatment most commonly consists of intracranial section of the glossopharyngeal nerve and upper vagal rootlets. We present three cases treated by the much simpler pharyngeal approach and argue that in appropriately selected patients this approach should receive more serious consideration.