Analysis of the Correlation Between Vertebrobasilar Artery Characteristics and the Occurrence Risk and Disease Condition of Hemifacial Spasm

AIMS/BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether vascular characteristics or hemodynamics of the vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) among patients with left- and right-sided hemifacial spasm (HFS) lesions correlate with the risk of HFS occurrence and disease severity. This study aims to investigate the correlation of VBA characteristics with the incidence risk and severity of HFS. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with HFS who were admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between January and October 2024 were retrospectively enrolled in the HFS group. Another 59 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations were assigned to the control group. Data on the characteristics of the VBA were collected for both groups, and the correlation between these characteristics and the occurrence risk of HFS was analyzed. In addition, patients in the HFS group were further stratified according to the lesion side (left vs right) and HFS severity grade (mild vs moderate vs severe) for subgroup analysis and comparison of VBA imaging features. RESULTS: > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The diameters of the left VA, right VA, and basilar artery are significantly correlated with the occurrence of HFS, while the severity of the disease shows no correlation with the diameter of the ipsilateral VA. This suggests that the morphological changes of the VBA system may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HFS.