Imaging predictors of successful surgical treatment of hemifacial spasm

Identify preoperative imaging findings in hemifacial spasm patients that predict the post-surgical success following microvascular decompression. This is a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, had a dedicated cranial nerve MRI, and underwent microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. Bilateral facial nerves were interrogated for neurovascular compression. If neurovascular compression was identified, we recorded whether the offending vessel was an artery, a vein or both. The location of the neurovascular compression (proximal nerve versus distal nerve) was noted. The severity of the neurovascular compression was categorized as contact versus deformity of the nerve. Patients were contacted to determine their post-operative spasm status. The relationships between imaging findings and post-surgical outcome were assessed by Chi-square tests, and odds ratios were calculated to quantify the degree of association. The study included 212 patients. Upon follow up, 192 patients were spasm free (90.57%). Imaging findings on the symptomatic side were as follows: arterial neurovascular compression was seen in 207 patients (97.64%), venous only neurovascular compression in two patients (0.94%), and no neurovascular compression in three patients (1.42%). Arterial neurovascular compression along the proximal, susceptible segment of the nerve was observed in 202 patients (95.28%); deformity was observed more commonly than contact alone. Arterial neurovascular compression along the distal segment only of the nerve was observed in five patients (2.36%). In patients with arterial neurovascular compression of the proximal and distal portions of the nerve, 93.07% and 60.0% of patients were spasm-free respectively. If venous neurovascular compression only was observed on imaging, 0% of patients were spasm-free. Patients with arterial neurovascular compression of the susceptible segment are much more likely to be spasm free than patients without this imaging finding, [odds ratio 20.14 (CI 5.08, 79.81), P-value <0.0001]. When comparing the two groups of arterial neurovascular compression (deformity versus contact), no statistically significant difference in outcomes was observed. In patients with hemifacial spasm undergoing microvascular decompression, imaging findings do predict surgical outcome. Patients with arterial neurovascular compression of the proximal, susceptible portion of the nerve are much more likely to be spasm free after surgery than those without this imaging finding. The imaging findings inform the risk benefit analysis and discussion with patients before they undergo microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.