Solomon S, Apfelbaum R I
Arch Neurol. 1986 May;43(5):479-82. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1986.00520050055022.
The nervus intermedius (NI) appears to be the main conduit for the associated symptoms of cluster headache (CH) and perhaps for the pain as well. Subtle injury of the facial nerve and NI might initiate mechanisms responsible for CH. Five patients with chronic CH unresponsive to medication underwent surgical decompression of the root exit-entry zone of the facial nerve, and in two patients the trigeminal nerve root was also decompressed. In two patients, the pain syndrome was markedly relieved for as long as two years. In one patient, initial improvement was obscured by narcotic addiction. In two patients, the operation was a failure. The NI was identified as a separate bundle in only one of five patients and decompressions may not have affected that component of the facial nerve.
中间神经（NI）似乎是丛集性头痛（CH）相关症状的主要传导通路，或许也是疼痛的主要传导通路。面神经和中间神经的细微损伤可能引发丛集性头痛的发病机制。5例药物治疗无效的慢性丛集性头痛患者接受了面神经根出入区的手术减压，其中2例患者还对三叉神经根进行了减压。2例患者的疼痛综合征明显缓解长达两年。1例患者最初的改善因药物成瘾而被掩盖。2例患者手术失败。在5例患者中，仅1例识别出中间神经为独立束支，减压可能并未影响面神经的该组成部分。
