title: Familial hemifacial spasm of young-onset: Report of two cases.
abstract: Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is defined as an involuntary twitching of the hemifacial muscles supplied by the facial nerve. It is mostly attributed to a vascular compression with the facial nerve. Familial HFS has been described in less than 10% of cases of sporadic HFS and usually develops after the age of 40. Young-onset HFS is a rare condition, generally presenting prior to the age of 30 with an estimated prevalence of 6.5% of sporadic HFS. No familial component has been described in small series of young-onset HFS. Here we report the cases of a patient and his mother who both developed right HFS in their early twenties. Both patients had a neurovascular contact between their right facial nerve and a branch of their right posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Our report explores how young-onset familial HFS may be the consequence of hereditary vascular variations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hansini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Palaram
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: Vanessa.FleuryNissen@hcuge.ch.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fleury
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Botulinum toxin; Familial; Hemifacial spasm; Posterior inferior cerebellar artery; Young onset