Report of facial nerve decompression in the traumatic facial palsy

ABSTRACT

Return of facial nerve function is important in patients with facial nerve paralysis by trauma. Sometimes, delay in diagnosis of facial nerve paralysis make recovery of facial nerve function difficult. Traumatic facial palsy mostly occur after temporal bone fracture in unilateral. Temporal bone fracture after head trauma are divided into the three group; longitudinal fracture, transverse fracture and mixed fracture. The most common symptoms are hearing impairment, bloody otorrhea, loss of consciousness and facial nerve paralysis. The early care of temporal bone fracture involves facial nerve paralysis. And there has been many discussion and study in the treatment of the immediate or delayed facial palsy ; examply, surgical approach, time and methods. We have managed a patient with unilateral facial nerve paralysis after longitudinal temporal bone fracture in mastoid process and conservative facial nerve decompression was performed. We have obtained good result and report this case with review of literatures.