Microsurgical treatment for 55 patients with hemifacial spasm due to cerebellopontine angle tumors

Tumor-related hemifacial spasm (HFS) has been found to be rare. During the period from October 1984 to October 2008, we treated 6,910 HFS patients using a microsurgical procedure. Of these HFS patients, 55 cases were associated with cerebellopontine angle tumors. A small craniectomy was performed in order to excise the tumor. All tumors were found to compress the root exit zone (REZ) of the facial nerve to different extents, but concomitant vascular compression of the facial nerve was observed in a majority of cases, and microvascular decompression of the facial nerve at REZ was conducted in 43 of 55 patients (78.2%) by displacing the co-compressing vasculature away from the REZ and retaining it using a Teflon pad. Intraoperative findings and postoperative pathological examinations suggested that the tumors were epidermoid cysts, meningiomas, and Schwannomas. Follow-up in 48 of 55 patients for 4–230 months after surgery showed that the clinical symptoms of HFS disappeared in 43 cases, improved in two cases, and recurred in three cases. Ten patients had sequelae associated with the operation. We concluded from this study that the majority of cases of tumor-related HFS are caused by combined tumor and vascular co-compression at the REZ, and tumor removal and microvascular decompression are required in order to relieve the symptoms.