Hemifacial spasm: assessment of disease severity and associated impairments (literature review)

Background. Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a chronic condition that significantly affects patients’ quality of life. Currently, there are no standardized scales to assess the severity of this condition and the impact on quality of life in both surgical and conservative treatment.

Aim. To highlight the currently existing tools for assessing HFS severity, as well as the quality of life and the effectiveness of treatment of this pathology.

Material and methods. A search of published data in electronic databases MEDLINE (PubMed) and RSCI (eLIBRARY) was performed.

Results. The main advantages and disadvantages of currently available scales for assessing the severity of HFS (score-rating scale, Tan scale, Clinical General Impression Scale (CGI-S), Chong scale for assessing HFS, Hemifacial Spasm Grading Scale (HSGS)), quality of life of patients with HFS (HFS-7, Cohen scale, HFS-30 scale), as well as the effectiveness of vascular decompression (classification of assessment of surgical treatment of HFS, scale proposed by N. Shorr) were analyzed. Data from studies including more than 50 participants in which the above scales were used are also presented.

Conclusion. It is advisable to use several instruments to assess all aspects of HFS in order to obtain the most complete information on the patients’ condition.

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