title: Clinical assessment of patients with primary and postparalytic hemifacial spasm: a retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compared the clinical features of 373 patients with primary and postparalytic hemifacial spasm (HFS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data analyzed were gender, ethnicity, age at symptom onset, disease duration, affected side, distribution of facial spasm at onset, hypertension, family history of HFS, previous history of facial palsy and latency between facial palsy and HFS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of patients with Asian origin was similar in both groups such as female/male ratio, mean age at symptom onset, disease duration, affected side and distribution at onset of facial twitching. The upper left side of the face was the main affected region at onset. Almost 40% of the patients in both groups had hypertension. A prevalence of vascular abnormalities on the posterior fossa was seen in 7% and 12.5% of both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical profile and radiological findings of patients with primary and postparalytic HFS are similar. The association of hypertension with vascular abnormalities and HFS was not frequent.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Avenida Bosque da Saúde 834/193, 04142-081 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. cf.andre@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Andre Carvalho
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Felicio
authors.forename: Clecio de Oliveira
authors.initials: Cde O
authors.lastname: Godeiro-Junior
authors.forename: Vanderci
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Sonia Maria de Azevedo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Henrique Ballalai
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A