Purpose: To study the clinical features and outcomes of pediatric primary hemifacial spasm patients who underwent microvascular decompression procedures.
Methods: In this retrospective study, five pediatric (<18 years old) primary hemifacial spasm patients underwent microvascular decompression. After surgery, resolution of spasms and surgical complications were observed. Their social adaptability was evaluated using a social adaptation scale, which was designed specially for Chinese middle-school students.
Results: Four typical hemifacial spasm patients had immediate excellent or good relief. However, the microvascular decompression procedure did not help the atypical patient much (50% relief of spasm). The score of social adaptation of the pediatric hemifacial spasm patients was 111.6 ± 8.2. Compared with the ordinary healthy Chinese middle-school students, whose score is 170.8 ± 25.4, the patients experienced great difficulty in social adaptation (P < 0.01). After surgery, the scores of two patients increased to a normal level; however, the other three patients remained unchanged.
Conclusions: Microvascular decompression is effective and safe to typical primary hemifacial spasm patients younger than 18 years old. Hemifacial spasm is harmful to the children's social adaptation. However, only some of the patients recovered to the normal social adaptation level even when the spasms were cured.