Hemifacial spasm and neurovascular compression syndrome.

patient was resting, causing contraction of all the muscles innervated by the left seventh cranial nerve. MR angiography revealed a neurovascular compression of the left facial nerve by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) (figures 1 and 2). The patient was taken to surgery and a microvascular decompression through a retrosigmoid approach was performed. Facial nerve function monitoring was conducted intraoperatively. The spasm was caused by a vascular loop from a small branch of the AICA between the facial nerve and the vestibulocochlear nerves, causing a longitudinal impression and stretching of the left facial nerve (figure 3). The offending vessel was moved away from the site and the decompression Hemifacial spasm and neurovascular compression syndrome Puya Dehgani Mobaraki, Ruggero Lapenna, Giampietro Ricci, Jacques Magnan Images in...