Surgical Anatomy of the Facial Nerve

Anatomical Features of Intratemporal Course of Facial Nerve and its Variations

“…The chorda tympani branch emerging from the larger lateral segment. Anson et al observed bifurcation of the nerve in three out of 500 temporal bones dissected randomly [ 11 ]. Surgeons should be aware of this extremely rare variation as facial nerve trunk can be damaged during surgical procedures like facial nerve decompression and parotid surgeries.…”

Atticoantral disease — revisited

“…Cholesteatoma most commonly involves the facial nerve in its horizontal portion or at the second genu. The horizontal segment of the facial nerve lies medial to the neck of the malleus and the incus and superior to the oval window niche and stapes [7,8]. The fallopian canal in this region is frequently dehiscent especially on its inferior aspect.…”

Bifurcation of the Facial Nerve Encountered During Facial Nerve Decompression Surgery

“…Mastoid segment bifurcation abnormalities are more common in the normal temporal bone. The cadaver temporal bone dissection specimens showed 0.5 to 4% bifurcation of the mastoid segment (4,5). Therefore, mastoid segment bifurcation abnormalities are more likely to be encountered in apparently normal temporal bone middle ear surgery than bifurcation at other sites.…”