[Five-year follow-up after neurosurgery complicated by facial neuropathy]. / Rezul'taty pyatiletnego nablyudeniya za patsientami s neiropatiei litsevogo nerva posle neirokhirurgicheskikh vmeshatel'stv.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin A (BTA) injections are effective for facial neuropathy. However, there is insufficient number of studies devoted to long-term management of these patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BTA therapy in patients with facial neuropathy after neurosurgical interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 86 patients with facial neuropathy after surgical treatment of posterior cranial fossa and cerebellopontine angle tumors. All ones were divided into 2 groups: group I (main) - 57 patients with BTA prescribed early after facial nerve injury, group II (control) - 29 people undergoing exercise therapy, as well as special exercises and acupressure of painful muscle cords. The Sunnybrook Facial Grading Scale (SFGS) was used to assess facial symmetry and synkinesis, the Facial Disability Index (FDI scale) - to assess the quality of life. Overall duration of the study was 5 years (control points: 6 months, 1, 2, 3 and 5 years). RESULTS: The SFGS scores after 1, 2, 3 and 5 years were significantly better in the main group (resting symmetry p<0.01, voluntary movement symmetry p<0.01, synkinesis p<0.01, general condition of facial muscles p<0.01). Scores of physical and social functioning were significantly higher in the main group after 1 (p<0.01), 2 (p<0.01), 3 (p<0.01) and 5 years (p<0.01) after surgery. There was no need to change BTA dosage over 5 years. Thus, this form of BTA may be the most effective for synkinesis of facial muscles. CONCLUSION: Correction of synkinesis caused by facial neuropathy requires long-term follow-up and long-term treatment. BTA is effective and may be recommended for long-term treatment of these patients.

[Higher efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy for hemifacial spasm recurrence after vascular decompression. Case report and literature review]. / Uvelichenie effektivnosti botulinoterapii pri vozvrate simptomov gemifatsial'nogo spazma posle vaskulyarnoi dekompressii. Klinicheskii sluchai i obzor literatury.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is an involuntary synchronous tonic and/or clonic contraction of mimic muscles following ipsilateral facial nerve dysfunction. The last one is a result of neurovascular conflict between the facial nerve and vessel. Currently, vascular decompression is a pathogenetic treatment modality for primary HFS. Various authors describe postoperative recurrence of HFS, and botulinum toxin therapy remains the only option for these patients. We aimed to describe the efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy in patients with HFS recurrence after surgical vascular decompression. The article presents a female patient with a long-term history of HFS and botulinum toxin therapy (with different formulations). Efficacy of therapy gradually decreased (progressive reduction of intervals between injections). MRI revealed a close relationship between posterior inferior cerebellar artery and roots of acoustic-facial nerves near the brainstem. The patient underwent vascular decompression of the left facial nerve root under intraoperative monitoring with positive postoperative outcome. However, HFS symptoms recurred in 3 days after surgery. Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) injections were resumed with significant positive effect that can be explained by reduction of one of the factors involved into HFS. Thus, patients with HFS recurrence after vascular decompression may benefit from BTA therapy.

[The efficacy of botulinum therapy in treatment of delayed facial palsy after resection of vestibular schwannoma]. / Éffektivnost' botulinoterapii v lechenii otsrochennoi neiropatii litsevogo nerva posle udaleniia nevrinomy slukhovogo nerva.

Delayed facial palsy is a complication developing 3 or more days after surgery. The etiology and pathogenesis of this condition has not been fully explored, and there are no treatment standards for it. As in the case of Bell's paralysis, glucocorticosteroids (GCSs) are currently used to treat delayed facial palsy. However, patients with contraindications to GCSs need new therapy modalities. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of botulinum therapy in patients with delayed facial palsy after neurosurgical interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 33 patients with delayed facial palsy developed 3 or more days after resection of vestibular schwannoma. The main group included 18 patients with contraindications to GCSs who received injections of botulinum toxin A (BTA) into the facial muscles of the healthy side for muscle relaxation. The comparison group consisted of 15 patients who received a course of prednisolone (1 mg/kg/day) for 5-7 days. The efficacy of treatment was assessed using the House-Brackmann scale and Clinical Global Impression Scale. The follow-up period after therapy was 3 months. RESULTS: Delayed facial palsy was more common in the following cases: the facial nerve was located near the antero-inferior tumor pole; the tumor was adherent to the facial nerve; the tumor extended in the oral direction; the tumor had with unclear borders and was 11 to 30 mm in size. In most patients of both groups, facial muscle palsy developed more than 11 days after surgery. Treatment both in the main and control groups resulted in a significant improvement: complete regression of the facial asymmetry in patients of the main group and comparison groups 3 months after treatment onset was 83.3 and 93.3% (House-Brackmann scale), respectively. CONCLUSION: Botulinum therapy may be recommended for patients with delayed facial palsy developed after vestibular schwannoma resection, who have contraindications to GCSs.

[Electromyographic control of botulinum toxin a injections in the upper extremities in patients with spasticity of various etiology].

AIM: The study was aimed at studying the efficacy of botulinum toxin A injections combined with EMG-control of the injections in patients with upper limb spasticity of various etiology for decreasing muscle tone and improving the passive limb function as well as at assessing the possibility of a botulinum toxin dose reduction under combination of these methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 61 patients with upper limb spasticity of different etiology were evaluated. The main group consisted of 29 patients who were injected with abobotulinum, the botulinum toxin A (500 U per vial), under EMG-control. The control group consisted of 32 patients who received BTA injections without EMG-control. A repeated BTA injection was performed on the 4th month of the study. Patients in both groups received standard rehabilitation therapy. The spasticity pattern was determined using the Arm Spasticity Pattern (ASP) scale. Evaluation of the treatment efficacy was performed using the modified Ashworth scale to determine upper limb spasticity and the modified Barthel Index scale to assess the quality of life as well as the Disability Assessment Scale (DAS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. RESULTS: The main spasticity patterns were as follows: the type III was in 13 (44.8%) and 17 (53.1%) patients, the type I was in 9 (31.0%) and 9 (28.1%) patients, and the type VI was in 7 (24.2%) and 6 (18.8%) patients of the main and control groups, respectively. One month after BTA treatment, a significant improvement was observed in both groups, but the improvement in the main group was more pronounced compared to that in the control group (р<0.05). This difference persisted for the whole treatment period (р<0.05). The DAS score demonstrated improvement in both groups, but only patients of the main group had a statistically significant improvement in putting the arm through a sleeve (р<0.05). EMG-control enabled a reduction in the BTA dose by 50-300 U. CONCLUSION: BTA injections under EMG-control in upper limb spasticity patients may improve the treatment efficacy.

[The use of botulinum toxin type a in the acute phase of facial nerve injury after neurosurgical surgery].

AIM: To evaluate the role of botulinum toxin type A in the acute phase of facial nerve injury after neurosurgical surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 55 patients with acute facial muscle paresis caused by facial nerve injury during surgery on the posterior cranial fossa and cerebello-pontine angle (CPA). The first group consisted of 35 patients (mean age, 48.14±1.26 years) who were administered botulinum toxin type A (xeomin) at a dose of 2-3 U per point in muscles of the intact side of the face. The control group included 20 patients (mean age, 49.85±1.4 years) who underwent standard rehabilitation treatment of this pathology. The treatment efficacy was evaluated using the House-Brackmann Scale, the Yanagihara facial grading system, the Facial Disability Index (FDI), and the Sunnybrook Facial Grading (SFG) Scale. RESULTS: Before treatment, patients of both groups experienced severe dysfunction according to the House-Brackmann Scale. A month after the botulinium toxin type A therapy had been started, a significant improvement in the group of patients who received botulinum toxin was observed at all scales (p<0.05), whereas improvement in the facial nerve function in the second group was observed only by the 3rd month of rehabilitation treatment (p<0.05). The number of synkineses in the patients who did not receive botulinum toxin was 46% higher than that in the first group (p=0.019) one year after the surgery, and it was higher by 91% after 2 years (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of botulinum toxin type A is reasonable in acute facial nerve injury and should be mandatory in combined therapy of these patients.

[The efficacy of botulinum toxin therapy in patients with upper limb spasticity due to traumatic brain injury]. / Effektivnost' botulinoterapii v lechenii spastichnosti verkhnei konechnosti u patsientov s cherepno-mozgovoi travmoi.

Spasticity is a type of muscle hyperactivity that occurs in patients after focal lesions of the Central nervous system due to various diseases: stroke, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, neurosurgical intervention, as well as multiple sclerosis and other diseases of the Central nervous system and is the most disability manifestation of the syndrome of upper motor neuron (UMNS). Focal spasticity of the upper limb requires a complex treatment. Botulinum toxin therapy is an effective treatment for focal/multifocal spasticity in reducing muscle tone and improving function with the highest level of evidence according to the latest American and European guidelines for treatment of spasticity. There are many publications devoted to BTA use in post-stroke patients. This article provides a review of the BTA use in patients with the upper limb spasticity due to severe traumatic brain injury. Some local data on the BTA efficacy in the cohort of patients with traumatic brain injury are also presented.