ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the clinical effects of botulinum toxin injection and radiofre quency thermal rhizotom in the treatment of primary hemifacial spasm.Methods A total 118 primary hemifacial spasm patients were randomly divided into two groups,who were received botulinum toxinA injections and radiofrequency thermal rhizotom treatment,respectively.Patients were followed up,and the curative effect,complications and recurrence rates of the two treatments were statistically compared.Results The early curative effect (1 month) for primary hemifacial spasm in botulinum toxin injection group was better than that in radiofrequency thermal rhizotom treatment group:recurrence rate of long-term (6 months) was 72.5 ％,but caused a very low risk of facial paralysis; radiofrequency thermal rhizotom treatment had a long-term effect as compared with botulinum toxin injection,6 months recurrence rate was 21.4 ％,with a low rate of postoperative facial paralysis.Conclusions Botulinum toxin injections is higher in short-term effectiveness and smaller in side effects as compared with the treatment of radiofrequency thermal rhizotom. However,radiofrequency thermal rhizotom treatment is more stable in the prospective efficacy.