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[Bilateral hemifacial spasm: eight personal case reports]
L Llaves-Estévez1, J R Chacon-Peña, E Martínez-Fernández
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, España.
Introduction:
Hemifacial spasms consist in tonic clonic, involuntary, asymmetrical and asynchronous contractions in the territory innerved by the facial nerve. Several different causes may give rise to this disorder, the most frequent of which are vascular abnormalities in the cerebellopontine angle. Its clinical features and electrophysiological studies are commonly used in diagnosis and its etiological diagnosis is most frequently performed by means of magnetic resonance imaging. Symptoms are treated using local injections of Botulinum toxin Type A in the affected muscles.
Aims:
To review our experience in the handling of this pathological condition and to determine the results of employing Botulinum toxin.
Patients And Methods:
We describe the cases of bilateral hemifacial spasms that have been diagnosed in the Virgen Macarena Hospital in Seville and La Fe in Valencia since 1980, as well as the follow up after treatment with Botulinum toxin.
Results:
We describe eight cases of this pathological condition in which patients were treated with Botulinum toxin, and in all cases there was an improvement in the symptoms.
Conclusions:
Treatment with Botulinum toxin is considered to be satisfactory and provides a marked improvement in the patients quality of life.