Comparison of brain MRI angiography and brain MRI cisternography in patients with hemifacial spasm.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the ability of brain magnetic resonance imaging angiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging cisternography of showing the neurovascular contiguity of the facial nerve in patients with hemifacial spasm. METHOD: This study included a total of 35 patients (28 females, 7 males), with an average age of 57.5 +/- 13.8 years, who presented to our outpatient clinic of movement disorders. All patients were prospectively applied brain magnetic resonance imaging angiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging cisternography, and the results were evaluated by a radiologist who was blind to study protocol. RESULTS: The study included 35 patients, of whom 28 (80 %) were female and 7 (20 %) were male. Brain magnetic resonance imaging angiography demonstrated facial nerve compression of vascular origin in 5 (14.3 %) patients presenting with the clinical presentation of hemifacial spasm. Neurovascular compression of facial nerve was shown by brain magnetic resonance imaging cisternography in 13 (37.1 %) patients. CONCLUSION: No statistically significant difference was found between brain magnetic resonance imaging angiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging cisternography techniques in detecting a compressive interaction causing hemifacial spasm between facial nerve and adjacent vascular structures (p > 0.05).