title: Is hypertension a risk factor of hemifacial spasm?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The published data on the relation between arterial hypertension (AH) and hemifacial spasm (HFS) are controversial. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of AH in HFS patients and the relation of AH and compression of the brainstem at the region of vasomotor center.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 60 of primary HFS patients and 60 healthy controls matched by age. AH was defined according to WHO criteria. The vessel compression of the brainstem was measure on MRI scans in selected region of vasomotor center located in the ventro-lateral medulla (VLM), between the pontomedullary junction, retro-olivary sulcus and the root entry zone (REZ) of the IX and X nerves. Modeling and compression severity of the VLM was graded in the 0-3 scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AH in HFS patients did not differ significantly from the control group (61.6% vs 45.0%, p=ns). VML compression by vessel was frequently found in HFS patients with AH than without AH (97.2% vs 60.9%, χ(2)=11.0, p=0.0009). A similar relation was also found in the control group. The higher rate of VML vascular compression was related to the presence of AH in both, HFS patients and control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of AH in HFS patients does not differ from controls. The VLM compression in HFS patients and controls is related to AH diagnosis. The association between AH and VLM compression is stronger in patients with higher degree of VLM compression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Silesia, Faculty of Medicine, Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: mrudzinska@sum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rudzińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology with Unit of Stroke and Unit of Neurological Rehabilitation, The John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wójcik-Pędziwiatr
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology with Unit of Stroke and Unit of Neurological Rehabilitation, The John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Michalina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malec-Litwinowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology with Unit of Stroke and Unit of Neurological Rehabilitation, The John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grabska
authors.affiliation: Medical Diagnostic Center VOXEL, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Silesia, Faculty of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szczudlik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Hemifacial spasm; Hypertension; Ventro-lateral medulla modeling