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Updated: Mar 1, 2026
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Hemimasticatory Spasm with a Single Venous Compression Treated with Microvascular Decompression of the Trigeminal
Ke-Kun Yan1, Jian-Bo Wei1, Wen Lin1
1Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Panzhihua City in Sichuan Province, Sichuan, China.
Background:
Hemimasticatory spasm is a very rare disorder of the trigeminal motor rootlet that is characterized by a paroxysmal involuntary contraction of the jaw-closing muscles. The mechanisms for hemimasticatory spasm remain unclear, and an efficient treatment strategy still needs to be developed.
Case Description:
We report a case of a successful treatment of hemimasticatory spasm with single venous compression via microvascular decompression of the trigeminal motor rootlet.
Conclusions:
Our report shows that a single venous compression may be also responsible for idiopathic hemimasticatory spasm which can be cured by microvascular decompression. This is the first report on hemimasticatory compressed by a single vein in the world.
