Botulinum toxin type A therapy for hemifacial spasm

Mechanism and clinical use of botulinum neurotoxin in head and facial region

PURPOSE

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is a biological toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. BoNT is a potent toxin extensively used in therapeutic interventions. This review provides an updated overview of the mechanisms of action and clinical applications of BoNT in head and facial region.

STUDY SELECTION

MEDLINE/PubMed searches were conducted using the terms "botulinum neurotoxin" and "dentistry" along with a combination of other related terms. In addition, studies were manually selected from reference lists of the selected articles.

RESULTS

The Food and Drug Administration in the United States initially approved BoNT to treat strabismus, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasms. The use of BoNT in dermatology and cosmetics has been widely established and has created a revolution in these fields. Over the years, its applications in various medical specialties have expanded widely. Owing to its safety, efficacy, and long duration of action, it is well-accepted by patients. BoNT/A and BoNT/B are widely used in clinical practice. Several off-label uses of BoNT in the dental fraternity have yielded promising results. We have elaborated on the speculated mechanism of action, dosage, effective sites of injection, and adverse effects of each therapeutic application. The various clinical indications for BoNT include bruxism, myofascial pain, temporomandibular joint dislocation, hemifacial pain, orofacial dystonia, facial paralysis, chronic migraine, and trigeminal neuralgia.

CONCLUSIONS

BoNT is a safe treatment that can be used effectively, provided that the clinician has adequate knowledge regarding the mechanism, injection techniques, and local and systemic side effects and that it is administered cautiously and purposefully.

The Five-Year Prospective Study of Quality of Life in Hemifacial Spasm Treated with Abo-Botulinum Toxin A

This study aimed to determine the long-term quality of life (QoL) in hemifacial spasm (HFS) patients after treating with Abo-botulinum toxin A (Abo-BTX). The study assessed the disease-specific QoL (hemifacial spasm questionnaire 30 items; HFS 30), the involuntary movements (abnormal involuntary movement scale; AIMS), general health QoL (Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; SF-36), and Depression (the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression questionnaire; CES-D). A total of 74 HFS patients were enrolled from 2012 to 2017. The disease-specific QoL; involuntary movements; and the general health domain of SF 36 were significantly improved after injections of Abo-BTX A in the first few years (p < 0.04), but significantly decreased at the fifth year of treatment without significant clinical resistance observed (p < 0.001). Only the general health domain of SF 36 showed persistent improvement over five years (p = 0.02). In summary, Abo-BTX A can improved quality of life in the first few years; however only the general health domain of SF-36 showed significant improvement over five years (p = 0.02). No clinical resistance was observed.

Botulinum Toxin in Movement Disorders: An Update

Since its initial approval in 1989 by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of blepharospasm and other facial spasms, botulinum toxin (BoNT) has evolved into a therapeutic modality for a variety of neurological and non-neurological disorders. With respect to neurologic movement disorders, BoNT has been reported to be effective for the treatment of dystonia, bruxism, tremors, tics, myoclonus, restless legs syndrome, tardive dyskinesia, and a variety of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. More recently, research with BoNT has expanded beyond its use as a powerful muscle relaxant and a peripherally active drug to its potential central nervous system applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Although BoNT is the most potent biologic toxin, when it is administered by knowledgeable and experienced clinicians, it is one of the safest therapeutic agents in clinical use. The primary aim of this article is to provide an update on recent advances in BoNT research with a focus on novel applications in the treatment of movement disorders. This comprehensive review of the literature provides a critical review of evidence-based clinical trials and highlights recent innovative pilot studies.

Long-term adherence and response to botulinum toxin in different indications

Objective

The objective of the study was the analysis of adherence and self‐perceived treatment response to long‐term botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT‐A) treatment in different neurological indications.

Methods

In this retrospective, monocentric, observational study, cross‐sectional and longitudinal data of 1351 patients documenting 20705 injection appointments at the BoNT outpatient clinic of Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf between 1989 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients had been treated with BoNT for neurological conditions, including cervical dystonia (CD), blepharospasm (BSP), other dystonia (ODT), hemifacial spasm (HFS), and spasticity (SPAS). The parameters longitudinally analyzed for the entire cohort were therapy duration as well as the mean and cumulative BoNT‐A dose. Cross‐sectionally, for subgroups of at least 721, patients’ global self‐perceived quality of health and life, global self‐perceived reduction of symptoms by BoNT‐A treatment as well as the clinical global impression were evaluated. Furthermore, mouse hemidiaphragm assay antibodies (MHDA‐ABs) were analyzed in a subgroup.

Results

The mean treatment duration was 4.58 years (95% CI 4.32–4.84), and 678 (50.2%) therapy dropouts of 1351 patients occurred within the first 8 years. Therapy adherence and self‐perceived symptom reduction in long‐term BoNT‐A treatment over the years were significantly longer in BSP, HFS, and CD patients than in ODT and SPAS patients.

Interpretation

The treatment indication determines long‐term adherence and self‐perceived symptom reduction in BoNT‐A therapy, which are better in BSP, HFS, and CD patients than in ODT and SPAS patients. MHDA‐ABs had a significant impact on global self‐perceived symptom reduction, but with only a limited degree.

Botulinum toxin type A therapy for blepharospasm

BACKGROUND

This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2005. Blepharospasm is the second most common form of focal dystonia. It is a disabling disorder, characterised by chronic, intermittent or persistent, involuntary eyelid closure, due to spasmodic contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscles. Currently, botulinum toxin type A (BtA) is considered the first line of therapy for this condition.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of BtA versus placebo in people with blepharospasm.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched Cochrane Movement Disorders' Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, reference lists of included articles, and conference proceedings. We ran all elements of the search, with no language restrictions, in July 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Double-blind, parallel, randomised, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of BtA versus placebo in adults with blepharospasm.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed records, selected included studies, extracted data using a paper pro forma, and evaluated the risk of bias. We resolved disagreements by consensus, or by consulting a third review author. We performed meta-analyses using a random-effects model, for the comparison of BtA versus placebo, to estimate pooled effects and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We did not carry out any prespecified subgroup analyses. The primary efficacy outcome was improvement on any validated symptomatic rating scale. The primary safety outcome was the proportion of participants with any adverse event.

MAIN RESULTS

We included three RCTs, assessed at low to moderate overall risk of bias, which randomised 313 participants with blepharospasm. Two studies excluded participants with poorer prior responses to BtA treatment, therefore, they included an enriched population with a higher probability of benefiting from this therapy. All trials were industry-funded. All RCTs evaluated the effect of a single BtA treatment session. BtA resulted in a moderate to large improvement in blepharospasm-specific severity, with a reduction of 0.93 points on the Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS) severity subscale at four to six weeks after injection (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61 to 1.25; I² = 9%) compared to placebo. BtA was also resulted in a moderate to large improvement in blepharospasm-specific disability and blepharospasm-specific involuntary movements at four to six weeks after injection (disability: 0.69 JRS disability subscale points, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.19; I² = 74%; blepharospasm-specific involuntary movements: standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.79, 0.31 to 1.27; I² = 58%) compared to placebo. BtA did not show a risk of adverse events (risk ratio (RR) 1.18, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.60; I² = 0%). However, BtA increased the risk of vision complaints and eyelid ptosis (vision complaints: RR 5.73, 95% CI 1.79 to 18.36; I² = 51%; eyelid ptosis: RR 4.02, 95% CI 1.61 to 10.00; I² = 39%). There was no distinction between BtA and placebo in the number of participants who dropped out of the trial. A single trial estimated the duration of effects to be 10.6 weeks (range 6.1 to 19.1). We found no evidence supporting the existence of a clear dose-response relationship with BtA. We found no data reporting the impact of BtA on health-related quality of life, or the development of secondary non-responsiveness.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We are moderately certain that a single BtA treatment resulted in a clinically relevant reduction of blepharospasm-specific severity and disability, and have low certainty that it is well tolerated, when compared with placebo. There is low-certainty evidence that people treated with BtA are not at an increased risk of developing adverse events, though BtA treatment likely increases the risk of visual complaints and eyelid ptosis. There are no data from RCTs evaluating the effectiveness and safety of repeated BtA injection cycles. There is no evidence from RCTs to allow us to draw definitive conclusions on the optimal treatment intervals and doses, or the impact on quality of life.

Botulinum toxin type A therapy for hemifacial spasm

BACKGROUND

This is an update of a Cochrane Review, first published in 2005. Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is characterised by unilateral, involuntary contractions of the muscles innervated by the facial nerve. It is a chronic disorder, and spontaneous recovery is very rare. The two treatments routinely available are microvascular decompression and intramuscular injections with botulinum toxin type A (BtA).

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of BtA versus placebo in people with HFS.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, reference lists of articles, and conference proceedings in July 2020. We ran the electronic database search, with no language restrictions, in July 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Double-blind, parallel, randomised, placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of BtA versus placebo in adults with HFS.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed records. We planned to select included studies, extract data using a paper pro forma, and evaluate the risk of bias. We resolved disagreements by consensus, or by consulting a third review author. We planned to perform meta-analyses. The primary efficacy outcome was HFS-specific improvement. The primary safety outcome was the proportion of participants with any adverse event.

MAIN RESULTS

We found no parallel-group randomised controlled trials comparing BtA and placebo in HFS.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We did not find any randomised trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A in people with hemifacial spasm, so we are unable to draw any conclusions. Observational data show a strong association between BtA treatment and symptom improvement, and a favourable safety profile. While it is unlikely that future placebo-controlled RCTs will evaluate absolute efficacy and safety, they should address relevant questions for both people with HFS (such as long-term effects, quality of life, and other patient-reported outcomes), and clinicians (such as relative effectiveness of different BtA formulations and schemes of treatment) to better guide clinical practice.).

Spasm Freedom Following Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a debilitating disorder characterized by intermittent involuntary movement of muscles innervated by the facial nerve. HFS is caused by neurovascular compression along the facial nerve root exit zone and can be treated by microvascular decompression (MVD). The goal was to determine rates and predictors of spasm freedom after MVD for HFS.

METHODS

A literature search using the key terms "microvascular decompression" and "hemifacial spasm" was performed. The primary outcome variable was spasm freedom at last follow-up. Analysis was completed to evaluate for variables associated with spasm-free outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 39 studies including 6249 patients were analyzed. Overall spasm freedom rate was 90.5% (5652/6249) at a follow-up of 1.25 ± 0.04 years. There was no significant relationship between spasm freedom versus persistent spasm and age at surgery, timing of follow-up, gender, disease duration, side of disease, or vessel type. Spasm freedom was more likely after an initial surgery versus a redo MVD (odds ratio 4.16, 95% confidence interval 1.99-8.68; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

MVD works well for HFS with cure rates >90% at 1-year follow-up in 6249 patients from 39 studies. A significant predictor of long-term spasm freedom at 1 year was an initial MVD as compared to repeat MVD. The majority of published manuscripts on MVD for HFS are heterogeneous single-institutional retrospective studies. As such, a large-scale meta-analysis reporting outcome rates and evaluating significant predictors of spasm freedom provides utility in the absence of randomized controlled studies.

"Contralateral Dry Eye in Hemifacial Spasm:" A New Clinical Sign

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a benign condition characterized by unilateral, involuntary, paroxysmal clonic and tonic contractions of the facial muscles. This condition usually results from a focal demyelination at the root entry zone of the 7^th cranial nerve secondary to a vascular loop compression, and hence, it responds to microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery, similar to trigeminal neuralgia. Herein, we report an interesting clinical finding of a contralateral dry eye in the case of HFS, which has not been described previously and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms. A 53-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of involuntary twitching movements of the left hemiface that persisted during sleep, consistent with the diagnosis of HFS. The patient's attempts to voluntarily control the troublesome involuntary left-sided eye blinking led to the development of dryness and reddening of the right eye. Corneal reflex, both direct and consensual, was intact bilaterally, and an ophthalmological examination ruled out the diagnosis of conjunctivitis. The patient underwent MVD of the facial nerve. To our surprise and validating our supposition, his contralateral conjunctival hyperemia and dry eye resolved within a day of surgery, along with complete resolution of the HFS. HFS can lead to the contralateral dry eye from the voluntary suppression of ocular blinking which resolves following MVD. We demonstrate this finding for the first time and believe its recognition may be of value in the patient management.

Health-related quality of life outcomes from botulinum toxin treatment in hemifacial spasm

BACKGROUND

Although botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections may alleviate involuntary muscle contractions in hemifacial spasm substantially, it is less clear whether the motor effect would translate into improvements of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).

METHODS

In this open-label clinical observational study, we characterized outcomes on HR-QoL in terms of the EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L) from BoNT in a prospective cohort of patients with hemifacial spasm (n = 73). Additionally, we characterized appendicular motor and nonmotor signs on motor symptom improvement, depressive symptoms, pain and sleep quality. Patients were assessed at the end of a regular 3-month period from last injection (timepoint1) and 4 weeks after the reinjection of BoNT (timepoint2).

RESULTS

Patients showed improved HR-QoL on the EQ-VAS (visual analogue scale) at timepoint2 compared with timepoint1. Moreover, we identified, that impairments in HR-QoL at timepoint1 correlated with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, respectively. However, these associated variables did not predict the therapeutic effect. Instead, EQ-VAS at timepoint1 accounted for 34.5% of the variance of EQ-VAS improvement expressed as the difference between timepoint2 and timepoint1.

CONCLUSION

Our study supports HR-QoL improvements in hemifacial spasm and the value of generic HR-QoL measures to estimate therapeutic outcome. However, the findings should be considered descriptive, and future high quality trials are needed for confirmatory purposes in order to refine treatment referral in hemifacial spasm with respect to QoL.

Clinical uses of botulinum neurotoxins: current indications, limitations and future developments

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause flaccid paralysis by interfering with vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release in the neuronal cells. BoNTs are the most widely used therapeutic proteins. BoNT/A was approved by the U.S. FDA to treat strabismus, blepharospam, and hemificial spasm as early as 1989 and then for treatment of cervical dystonia, glabellar facial lines, axillary hyperhidrosis, chronic migraine and for cosmetic use. Due to its high efficacy, longevity of action and satisfactory safety profile, it has been used empirically in a variety of ophthalmological, gastrointestinal, urological, orthopedic, dermatological, secretory, and painful disorders. Currently available BoNT therapies are limited to neuronal indications with the requirement of periodic injections resulting in immune-resistance for some indications. Recent understanding of the structure-function relationship of BoNTs prompted the engineering of novel BoNTs to extend therapeutic interventions in non-neuronal systems and to overcome the immune-resistance issue. Much research still needs to be done to improve and extend the medical uses of BoNTs.

Functional end-plate recovery in long-term botulinum toxin therapy of hemifacial spasm: a nerve conduction study

Botulinum toxin type-A is currently thought to be effective and safe for hemifacial spasm (HFS). The pre-synaptic block of acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction induces depression of orbicularis oculi muscle compound motor action potential (CMAP). The aim of our study was to evaluate at what extent end-plate functional recovery is possible even in botulinum toxin treatments lasting up to 15 years. We examined 81 outpatients with primary HFS (mean treatment duration = 7.2 ± 4.2 years) who underwent neurophysiologic study, once clinical effect of the previous treatment had vanished. The mean CMAP amplitude, mean rectified amplitude of response 1 (R1) of the blink reflex and area of response 2 (R2) of treated orbicularis oculi muscle were measured in comparison to the controlateral side. Mean amplitude of the above mentioned parameters was slightly lower (about 20%; p < 0.001) in the treated side at the end of the follow-up period (4.7 ± 1.7 months). The CMAP amplitude reduction weakly correlated with the interval from last treatment, while other neurophysiologic parameters did not change due to treatment duration or total toxin amount. Our study demonstrates that botulinum toxin affects compound motor action potential and blink-reflex responses for at least 4-5 months in HFS patients. The residual block is slight and does not increase with repeated injections after several years of treatment. Our study, beside confirming the long-term efficacy of botulinum toxin treatment for HFS, provides neurophysiologic evidence that therapeutic effect may be obtained without hindering the regenerative potential of the nerve-muscle complex.

Botulinum toxin in hemifacial spasm: the challenge to assess the effect of treatment

Hemifacial spasm is characterized by intermittent tonic or clonic contractions of the muscles supplied by the facial nerve. Although vision is less impaired than in patients with blepharospasm, the disease can impose significant psychosocial burden on patient's life. Botulinum toxin (BoNT) is the well-established pharmacotherapy of choice, but evidence from controlled clinical trials is sparse. There is a broad variety of rating scales used in clinical studies with BoNT and obviously no consensus has been reached how to assess treatment outcome in hemifacial spasm. Clinical rating scales focusing on objective function were used in a couple of controlled studies with BoNT and were appropriate to discriminate between BoNTA and placebo. But it has not been shown that they would be sensitive enough to detect minor differences between several BoNT formulations. Although most of the clinical scales consist of a five-point rating, the descriptors for the ordinal numbers are not necessarily the same so that the results of different clinical studies are not comparable to each other. The main disadvantage of clinical scales is that they do not take into account patient's perspective of disability and impact on daily life. For this reason some clinical studies applied health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires to assess efficacy, and one research group worked on the development of disease-specific tools. Although these HRQoL questionnaires have been validated and a good correlation to disease severity could be demonstrated, they are far from having become an established variable for efficacy assessment in hemifacial spasm trials. The challenge remains to establish tools which are appropriate to rate BoNT treatment effects in hemifacial spasm. Currently, it is virtually impossible to identify one rating scale which can cover all relevant aspects of the disorder. In consequence we recommend the implementation of a combination of different rating scales which address functional impairment as well as those issues which are most important to patients. Further research is needed to standardize and validate rating scales for hemifacial spasm in clinical studies.

Myoclonic disorders: a practical approach for diagnosis and treatment

Myoclonus is a sudden, brief, involuntary muscle jerk. It is caused by abrupt muscle contraction, in the case of positive myoclonus, or by sudden cessation of ongoing muscular activity, in the case of negative myoclonus (NM). Myoclonus may be classified in a number of ways, although classification based on the underlying physiology is the most useful from the therapeutic viewpoint. Given the large number of possible causes of myoclonus, it is essential to take a good history, to clinically characterize myoclonus and to look for additional findings on examination in order to limit the list of possible investigations. With regards to the history, the age of onset, the character of myoclonus, precipitating or alleviating factors, family history and associated symptoms and signs are important. On examination, it is important to see whether the myoclonus appears at rest, on keeping posture or during action, to note the distribution of jerks and to look for the stimulus sensitivity. Electrophysiological tests are very helpful in determining whether myoclonus is cortical, subcortical or spinal. A single pharmacological agent rarely control myoclonus and therefore polytherapy with a combination of drugs, often in large dosages, is usually needed. Generally, antiepileptic drugs such as valproate, levetiracetam and piracetam are effective in cortical myoclonus, but less effective in other forms of myoclonus. Clonazepam may be helpful with all types of myoclonus. Focal and segmental myoclonus, irrespective of its origin, may be treated with botulinum toxin injections, with variable success.

Hemifacial spasm and reinnervation synkinesias: long-term treatment with either Botox or Dysport

Botulinum toxin is considered the treatment of choice for hemifacial spasm (HFS) and reinnervation synkinesias (RS). We present 133 patients with HFS (n = 97) and RS (n = 36) who have been treated with either Botox (n = 78) or Dysport (n = 55) exclusively for 6 years (range 2-12 years). The Botox dose was 21 +/- 8 MU, the Dysport dose 46 +/- 22 MU. The therapeutic effect started after 7.1 +/- 2.3 days and lasted for 12.5 +/- 3.9 weeks. It was stable throughout the observation period in 85% of all patients. Adverse effects occurred in 5.4% of injection series. No patient terminated treatment because of unsatisfactory results. Secondary therapy failure did not occur. With an effective conversion ratio of Botox:Dysport = 1:2.56 there were no differences between both drugs with respect to therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects thus confirming the hypothesis that there may not be intrinsic differences between both products.

Long-term efficacy of botulinum toxin A for treatment of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, and spastic entropion: a multicentre study using two drug-dose escalation indexes

PURPOSE

To investigate the long-term effectiveness and safety of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) treatment in patients with blepharospasm (BEB), hemifacial spasm (HFS), and entropion (EN) and to use for the first time two modified indexes, 'botulin toxin escalation index-U' (BEI-U) and 'botulin toxin escalation index percentage' (BEI-%), in the dose-escalation evaluation.

METHODS

All patients in this multicentre study were followed for at least 10 years and main outcomes were clinical efficacy, duration of relief, BEI-U and BEI-%, and frequency of adverse events.

RESULTS

BEB, HFS, and EN patients received a mean BoNT-A dose with a significant inter-group difference (P<0.0005, respectively). The mean (+/-SD) effect duration was statistically different (P=0.009) among three patient groups. Regarding the BoNT-A escalation indexes, the mean (+/-SD) values of BEI-U and BEI-% were statistically different (P=0.035 and 0.047, respectively) among the three groups. In BEB patients, the BEI-% was significantly increased in younger compared with older patients (P=0.008). The most frequent adverse events were upper lid ptosis, diplopia, ecchymosis, and localized bruising.

CONCLUSIONS

This long-term multicentre study supports a high efficacy and good safety profile of BoNT-A for treatment of BEB, HFS, and EN. The BEI indexes indicate a significantly greater BoNT-A-dose escalation for BEB patients compared with HFS or EN patients and a significantly greater BEI-% in younger vsolder BEB patients. These results confirm a greater efficacy in the elderly and provide a framework for long-term studies with a more flexible and reliable evaluation of drug-dose escalation.

Neurologic uses of botulinum neurotoxin type A

This article reviews the current and most neurologic uses of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A), beginning with relevant historical data, neurochemical mechanism at the neuromuscular junction. Current commercial preparations of BoNT-A are reviewed, as are immunologic issues relating to secondary failure of BoNT-A therapy. Clinical uses are summarized with an emphasis on controlled clinical trials (as appropriate), including facial movement disorders, focal neck and limb dystonias, spasticity, hypersecretory syndromes, and pain.

Botulinum toxin in the treatment of blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm

Blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm are the two most common craniofacial movement disorders. Blepharospasm is a syndrome characterized by excessive or continuous eye closure related to overactivity of the orbicularis oculi and adjacent muscles bilaterally. Hemifacial spasm is a peripherally-induced movement disorder typically caused by vascular compression of cranial nerve VII (CN VII) leading to involuntary unilateral contractions of muscles used in facial expression. Treatment options for both conditions include medications, botulinum toxin, and various surgical interventions. This article summarizes the existing medical literature which indicates that botulinum toxin is the treatment of choice for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.

[Disorders of the cerebellopontine angle]

Disorders of the cerebellopontine angle may present by symptoms like vertigo, hearing problems, affection of the trigeminal or facial nerve. Ipsilateral ataxia and contralateral hemiparesis develop in case of a rather large tumor in this region and display an involvement of the cerebellum and/or brainstem. However, some of these typical symptoms are not recognized by the patient. Thus, in case of a suspicion of a disorder of the cerebellopontine angle the relevant functions have to be tested clinically. In addition, electrophysiology can confirm dysfunction of these cranial nerves. Mainstay of the therapy should be the treatment of the underlying cause. Nevertheless, not seldom it is necessary to treat symptoms like vertigo or facial pain.