The true purpose of the MRI is NOT to diagnose TN, but it is to rule out the possibility of the pain coming from a tumor or MS. After everything else is ruled out as being the cause of the pain, then the diagnosis can be made of TN.

I had two different thin cut MRI's done...at the beginning & a month ago before having my recent MVD surgery. Both MRI's came back normal, and I had been having typical TN pain for three years.

When I had the MVD surgery 11 days ago, a severe compression of the trigeminal nerve by the Superior Cranial Artery was found to be the problem. It was never seen on the two different MRI's.

Good luck to you on this new journey,

Judy