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Neurology (Expert Forum)
facial muscle twitches
Answered by
Lama Chahine, MD - Neurology
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.
Doctor's Answer
by Lama Chahine, MD, Jul 18, 2009 08:21PM
, Jul 18, 2009 08:21PM
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
One cause of combined eye and face twitching is hemifacial spasm, a type of involuntary muscle contraction that can be of no specific cause (what is medically termed idiopathic) or much less commonly, secondary to a lesion (tumor, vascular malformation, stroke) in the part of the brain called the brainstem. It is diagnosed clinically, based on its appearance. In someone diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, an MRI of the brain to exclude such a lesion is indicated. It is usually a benign condition but can be bothersome to the patient. Treatment of hemifacial spasm if it is bothersome could include botox injection into the contracting muscles.
Another potential cause of eye and lip twitching is a partial seizure, and when it occurs throughout the day, this would be termed epilepsia partialis continua. However, this is more common in younger children, and your overall description makes this unlikely.
Evaluation by a neurologist is recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
One cause of combined eye and face twitching is hemifacial spasm, a type of involuntary muscle contraction that can be of no specific cause (what is medically termed idiopathic) or much less commonly, secondary to a lesion (tumor, vascular malformation, stroke) in the part of the brain called the brainstem. It is diagnosed clinically, based on its appearance. In someone diagnosed with hemifacial spasm, an MRI of the brain to exclude such a lesion is indicated. It is usually a benign condition but can be bothersome to the patient. Treatment of hemifacial spasm if it is bothersome could include botox injection into the contracting muscles.
Another potential cause of eye and lip twitching is a partial seizure, and when it occurs throughout the day, this would be termed epilepsia partialis continua. However, this is more common in younger children, and your overall description makes this unlikely.
Evaluation by a neurologist is recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
