Hemifacial Spasm

Hemifacial spasm is a neurological disorder that involves facial muscles involuntarily twitching.

What’s in this section?

Signs and symptoms
Potential causes
Diagnosis
Treatment options

Signs and Symptoms

The most common symptom of hemifacial spasm is the one-sided muscle spasm of the face. Often, these spasms cause discomfort but not pain.

Potential Causes

Hemifacial spasms can be caused by pressure on a facial nerve from a blood vessel, injury to a facial nerve or a tumor.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of hemifacial spasms start with a physical exam and medical history. Other procedures and tests may be needed to diagnose this condition, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography .

Treatment Options

There are different treatment options depending on the severity of your symptoms:

Botox to paralyze the impacted facial muscles temporarily
Medication to control spasms
Microvascular decompression

Conditions

Brain Conditions

Brain Anatomy

Tumor

Acoustic Neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma Acromegaly Astrocytoma Chondrosarcoma Chordoma Colloid Cysts Craniopharyngioma Cushing's Disease Dermoid, Epidermoid and Arachnoid Cysts Glioblastoma Glioma Lymphoma Meningioma Metastatic Tumor Pituitary Tumor Skull Base Tumor

Neurovascular

Brain Aneurysm Brain Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) Carotid Artery Stenosis Cavernous Malformation Cerebral Arteriovenous Fistula Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Epistaxis (Refractory Nosebleed) Head and Neck Tumor Hemorrhage Intracerebral Hemorrhage Intracranial Artery Stenosis Moyamoya Disease Spine Arteriovenous Fistula Stroke - Hemorrhagic Stroke - Ischemic Vasospasm

Trauma

Traumatic Brain Injury

Functional

Chiari Malformation and Syrinx Epilepsy Essential Tremor Hydrocephalus Parkinson's Disease Primary Dystonia Spasticity

Pediatric

Arachnoid Cysts Brain Cysts Brain Tumor Craniosynostosis Epilepsy Hydrocephalus Moyamoya Disease Plagiocephaly Skull Lesions - Lumps and Bumps

Spine Conditions

Spine Anatomy

Degenerative Disease

Ankylosing Spondylitis Cauda Equina Syndrome Cervical Arthritis (Rheumatoid Arthritis) Degenerative Disc Disease Discitis Facet Joint Arthritis Facet Joint Synovial Cyst Herniated Disc Kyphosis/Scoliosis Loss of Lordosis Myelopathy Osteoporotic Compression Fracture Radiculopathy (Arm, Neck, Back, Leg) Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain Sciatica Spinal Deformity Spinal Infection Spinal Stenosis Spine Fractures Spondylolisthesis Spondylolysis

Tumor and Vascular

Intradural Tumor Metastatic Spinal Tumor Spinal Fistula Spinal Tumor

Trauma

Traumatic Spine Fracture

Pediatric

Cervical Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) Congenital Anomalies Spine Cysts Spine Tumor Tethered Cord

Peripheral Nerve

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia Hemifacial Spasm Peroneal Nerve Syndrome Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Trigeminal Neuralgia Ulnar Nerve Syndrome

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