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Introduction

Before getting to the heart of the discussion regarding the pathology of our patient Mary Poppins, which from the previous chapters seems to be of a neuromotor type, in particular a 'Hemimasticatory Spasm', we should focus on some fundamental points that will help us to understand the importance of the excursus of the chapters and at the same time to better understand the essence of the decryption process of the neurological signal, already mentioned several times.

Let's start by saying that it is not so complex to make a diagnosis of 'Hemimasticatory Spasm', it is to make a differential diagnosis between Hemimasticatory and Hemifacial Spasm because it does not depend only on the nervous districts involved, but even more it is to understand the nature of the disease to address, subsequently, adequate therapy.

We should, first of all, consider movement disorders which can be defined as involuntary or abnormal movements triggered by trauma to the nerves or cranial or peripheral roots. From this it is contextual to consider involuntary movements including spasms also pathologies of the Central Nervous System as well as the peripheral one. In a study by Seung Hwan Lee et al. two vestibular schwannomas, five meningiomas and two epidermoid tumors were included. Hemifacial spasm occurred on the same side of the lesion in eight patients while it occurred on the opposite side of the lesion in one patient. Regarding the pathogenesis of hemifacial spasms, in six patients the vessels were found to be involved, in one patient the tumor involved the facial nerve lining, compression of the facial nerve hypervascular tumor without damage to the vessels in one patient and a huge tumor which compressed the brainstem thus involving the contralateral facial nerve in another patient. Hemifacial spasm resolved in seven patients, while in two patients with vestibular schwannoma and epidermoid tumor they improved transiently and then recurred at one month.

Therefore, the contributing causes of the central intracranial type should be kept in mind, which could be a contributory cause of facial and / or masticatory spasm, for example, cases of vestibular schwannoma and epidermoid tumors.