Dysfunction of the facial nerve is often a complex problem that requires a multidisciplianry approach.
The commonest causes of a lower cranial nerve facial nerve dysfunction include Bell’s Palsy and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, but can be associated with primary and secondary tumours of the facial nerve, cholesteatoma and trauma.
Often supportive care is all that is required, but occasionally surgery to remove pathology, repair and reconstruct the facial nerve and surrounding structures and other reanimation procedures are required.
As mentioned this requires a multidisciplinary team including specialised physiotherapists, otologist and skull base surgeons, head and neck surgeons, facial reconstructive surgeons and radiotherapists.
Perineural invasion of the facial nerve
Petrous temporal bone cholesteatoma
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