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Neurovascular compression in painful tic convulsif

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Abstract

This article describes the case of a 67-year-old woman who presented with a typical left hemifacial spasm of 8-month duration. After 2 months, she experienced lacinating and sharp shock-like pain in the left side of her face affecting the V1 and V2 territories and a discrete attenuation of nauseous reflex on the left side. CT angiography and MRI revealed significant compression of left cranial nerves V, VII, VIII, IX and X by a giant and tortuous vertebro-basilar arterial complex. This case illustrates the nonlinearity of the relationship between the presence of the stressor factor and the actual manifestation of the disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurology of School of Medicine of University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    E. T. Fonoff, V. P. Araújo, Y. S. A. de Oliveira & M. J. Teixeira

  2. Itacolomi 601, cj 24 01231 000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    E. T. Fonoff

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  1. E. T. Fonoff
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  2. V. P. Araújo
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  3. Y. S. A. de Oliveira
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  4. M. J. Teixeira
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Correspondence to E. T. Fonoff.

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Fonoff, E.T., Araújo, V.P., de Oliveira, Y.S.A. et al. Neurovascular compression in painful tic convulsif. Acta Neurochir 151, 989–993 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-009-0313-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-009-0313-6

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