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Idiopathic hemifacial spasm responsive to zonisamide: a case report
Antonio Siniscalchi1, Luca Gallelli, Caterina Palleria
1Department of Neuroscience, Neurology Division, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, Italy.
Clinical Neuropharmacology
|August 1, 2009
Summary
Zonisamide effectively treated a patient with idiopathic hemifacial spasm (HFS) when other medications failed. This finding suggests zonisamide as a potential new treatment for HFS.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Idiopathic hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary contractions of facial muscles.
- Current treatments for HFS may have limited efficacy or cause adverse effects.
Observation:
- A 65-year-old woman with a 4-year history of left-sided HFS, initially unresponsive to clonazepam, was treated with zonisamide.
- The patient experienced complete resolution of HFS symptoms after adding zonisamide (150 mg twice daily for 6 weeks).
Findings:
- Zonisamide demonstrated significant efficacy in resolving HFS symptoms, confirmed by a successful rechallenge after dechallenge.
- The patient remained symptom-free during follow-up with no reported adverse drug reactions.
Implications:
- Zonisamide may offer a novel and effective therapeutic option for managing idiopathic hemifacial spasm.
- Further research into zonisamide's efficacy and safety profile for HFS is warranted.
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