Anatomic preservation of the facial nerve, with maximal facial function, is one of the goals of acoustic neuroma surgery. Application of electrophysiologic monitoring techniques is useful in achieving this goal. Preoperative electromyography and nerve conduction studies provide important prognostic information for preservation of the nerve and postoperative function. Intraoperative electromyogr...

In this issue of the AJNR, Dr. Sartoretti-Schefer et al (page 810) present a novel study investigating imaging of the facial nerve and its relationship with acoustic tumors. They point out that it has been reported in the literature that the facial nerve lies anteriorly to the tumor 98% of the time. With the T2-weighted fast spin-echo MR technique, they could identify consistently the entire co...

INTRODUCTION Facial nerve weakness is most commonly due to Bell's palsy or cerebrovascular accidents. Rarely, middle ear tumor presents with facial nerve dysfunction. CASE PRESENTATION We report a very unusual case of middle ear osteoma in a 49-year-old Caucasian woman causing progressive facial nerve deficit. A subtle middle ear lesion was observed on otoscopy and computed tomographic images...

Radical parotidectomy often results in complex facial nerve defects involving the main nerve trunk and multiple distal nerve branches. Although cable nerve grafting often leads to good nerve regeneration, severe synkinesis due to aberrant axonal regrowth is inevitable. In such situations, the use of 2 motor sources to differentially reanimate the upper and lower face could minimize synkinesis. ...

BACKGROUND The use of facial cross-grafting in acquired recent unilateral facial palsy provides spontaneity and emotional activation. Masseteric nerve for facial animation has mainly been described for reinnervation of neuromuscular transplants, babysitter procedures, or direct facial nerve cooptation. The simultaneous use in a single procedure of cross-facial nerve grafting and masseteric coop...

We conducted a retrospective case review at our tertiary care academic medical center to assess the long-term results of microvascular free-tissue transfer to achieve facial reanimation in 3 patients. These patients had undergone wide-field parotidectomy with facial nerve resection. Upper facial reanimation was accomplished with a proximal facial nerve-sural nerve graft, and lower facial moveme...

When a viable proximal facial nerve is not accessible, facial nerve paralysis has been managed with hypoglossal facial anastomosis, which results in varying degrees of hemiglossal atrophy and its sequelae. These authors have used the masseteric nerve to neurotize the facial nerve in one patient.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS The hypoglossal-facial-anastomosis is the most often applied procedure for the reanimation of a long lasting peripheral facial nerve paralysis. The use of an interposition graft and its end-to-side anastomosis to the hypoglossal nerve allows the preservation of the tongue function and also requires two anastomosis sites and a free second donor nerve. We describe the modifi...

SUMMARY Herpes Zoster Cephalicus or Ramsey-Hunt syndrome is second only to Bells palsy as the most common cause of acute facial paralysis. The varicclla zoster virus is thought to be responsible for this syndrome; Involvement or the racial and auditory nerve. In this article, a patient who was admitted with vesticular eruption of the external car with facial paralysis, and auditory symptoms i...