Hemifacial Spasm as Rare Clinical Presentation of Vestibular Schwannomas

Although classical hemifacial spasm (HFS) has been attributed to an atraumatic pulsatile vascular compression around the root exit zone (REZ) of the facial nerve, rare tumor-related HFS associated with meningiomas, epidermoid tumors, lipomas, and schwannomas in the cerebellopontine angle have been reported. The exact mechanism and the necessity of microvascular decompression for tumor-induced HFS is not clear, especially for vestibular schwannomas.

We retrospectively analyzed 10 patients with vestibular schwannomas out of 5218 cases of hemifacial spasm between 2004 and 2014.

Hemifacial spasm occurred ipsilateral to the vestibular schwannoma in 9 patients and contralateral to the lesion in 1 patient. The mean follow-up period was 86 months (range, 22-140 months). All patients underwent surgery for resection of the vestibular schwannoma. Following the principle of neurovascular compression, offending vessels were found in 7 patients, no offending vessels in 2 patients, and a tumor with the displacement of brain stem contributing to contralateral facial nerve compression in 1 patient. HFS was relieved immediately postoperatively in 9 patients, whereas it improved gradually and then resolved after one month in one patient with a contralateral vestibular schwannoma.

For HFS induced by vestibular schwannomas in our study, the majority of cases are caused by a combination of tumor and vascular co-compression at the REZ. Surgical intervention resulted in resolution of symptoms. For HFS with ipsilateral vestibular schwannoma, exploration of the facial nerve root for vascular compression should be performed routinely after tumor resection. It is critical to check that no vessel is contact with the entire nerve root.