Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Hemifacial spasm: MR imaging features.

R Tash1, J DeMerritt, G Sze

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.

AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|September 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Do some operations still need more diamorphine?

Anaesthesia·2025
Same author

Volatile capture and net zero: spending money effectively.

Anaesthesia·2023
Same author

Awake tracheal intubation.

BJA education·2022
Same author

Measurements of the associated production of a Z boson and b jets in pp collisions at <math> </math>.

The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields·2020
Same author

Consent and operating list efficiency.

Anaesthesia·2018
Same author

Search for lepton flavour violating decays of heavy resonances and quantum black holes to an [Formula: see text] pair in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text].

The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields·2017
Same journal

CT Evaluation of Osseous Trauma at the Craniocervical Junction: A Pattern-Based Overview.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
Same journal

Comprehensive Structural MRI Phenotyping in <i>Oligophrenin 1-</i>Related Disorder Reveals Characteristic Brain Malformations.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
Same journal

ASNR-ESNR White Paper on Sustainability in Neuroradiology.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
Same journal

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease Distribution Across Circle of Willis Segments: Insights from CREST-H.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
Same journal

Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Patterns on ASL in Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: Quantitative Analysis and Clinical Correlation.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
Same journal

Improved Diagnostic Certainty of Photon-Counting CT Myelography Compared with Energy-Integrating CT for CSF-Venous Fistulas in Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2026
See all related articles

Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging revealed vascular structures compressing the seventh cranial nerve in all hemifacial spasm patients. While 21% of asymptomatic individuals also showed this contact, MR imaging is crucial for diagnosing hemifacial spasm causes.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Radiology
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Hemifacial spasm is often caused by neurovascular compression.
  • Identifying the causative vascular structure is key for treatment.
  • Conventional CT has limitations in visualizing posterior fossa structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the relationship between the seventh cranial nerve's root exit zone and surrounding vasculature using MR imaging.
  • To compare findings in patients with hemifacial spasm versus asymptomatic individuals.

Main Methods:

  • MR imaging was performed on 13 patients with hemifacial spasm and 70 asymptomatic individuals (140 nerves).
  • The course of the seventh cranial nerve and its proximity to the vertebrobasilar system were assessed.
  • The presence of vascular structures at the nerve's root exit zone was specifically noted.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • All 13 hemifacial spasm patients exhibited a vascular structure at the seventh nerve's root exit zone.
  • Twenty-one percent of asymptomatic individuals (21% of 140 nerves) also had vascular contact.
  • MR imaging clearly visualized the seventh nerve and its relationship with vascular structures.

Conclusions:

  • MR imaging can demonstrate neurovascular compression at the seventh cranial nerve's root exit zone in hemifacial spasm.
  • While neurovascular contact can be asymptomatic, its presence in symptomatic patients suggests a potential cause.
  • MR imaging is recommended as the initial diagnostic tool for hemifacial spasm due to its superior visualization of posterior fossa anatomy compared to CT.