title: Fusiform aneurysm of the vertebral artery presenting with hemifacial spasm treated by microvascular decompression.
abstract: We report a rare case of symptomatic hemifacial spasm caused by a fusiform vertebral artery aneurysm. A 59-year-old woman presented with left hemifacial spasm of 18 months duration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an enlarged a fusiform aneurysm of the left vertebral artery which compressed the seventh cranial nerve at its exit from the caudal pons. Microvascular decompression of the facial nerve with moving of the aneurysm resulted in complete relief of the hemifacial spasm. No enlargement of the aneurysm was shown on follow-up for a period of 6 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Saiseikai Yokohama-shi Nambu Hospital, Yokohama, Japan. uchino0717@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuramitsu
mesh_terms: D000783:Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014711:Vertebral Artery