Multiple Cranial Nerve Injury by Single Cervical Stab Wound: A case report

ABSTRACT

The cranial nerve lesions can occur from a stroke, traumatic brain injury or direct cervical injury, and can produce various functional problems of the craniofacial structures. Usually the cranial nerve injury can be diagnosed by a simple clinical manifestation, and physical or neurological examination. Electrophysiologic study and imaging study such as MRI are frequently used as the sequential follow up studies for the objective evaluation of neurologic regeneration process. We report a case of multiple cranial nerve injuries, of the fifth, seventh, tenth, eleventh and twelfth cranial nerves from a single deep cervical stab wound of 4 cm in length from 0.5 cm anterior of the tragus to 1 cm posterior to the mandibular angle. Electrophysiologic study including an electromyography of tongue and vocal cord, blink reflex and facial nerve conduction study were used for the diagnosis and follow up.