Izvorni znanstveni članak
Anatomical Study of the Facial Nerve Canal in Comparison to the Site of the Lesion in Bell’s Palsy
Krsto Dawidowsky
Srećko Branica
Lovorka Batelja
Barbara Dawidowsky
Lana Kovač-Bilić
Anamarija Šimunić-Veselić
Sažetak
The term Bell’s palsy is used for the peripheral paresis of the facial nerve and is of unknown origin. Many studies
have been performed to find the cause of the disease, but none has given certain evidence of the etiology. However, the majority
of investigators agree that the pathophysiology of the palsy starts with the edema of the facial nerve and consequent
entrapment of the nerve in the narrow facial canal in the temporal bone. In this study the authors wanted to find why the
majority of the paresis are suprastapedial, i.e. why the entrapment of the nerve mainly occurs in the proximal part of the
canal. For this reason they carried out anatomical measurements of the facial canal diameter in 12 temporal bones. By
use of a computer program which measures the cross-sectional area from the diameter, they proved that the width of the
canal is smaller at its proximal part. Since the nerve is thicker at that point because it contains more nerve fibers, the authors
conclude that the discrepancy between the nerve diameter and the surrounding bony walls in the suprastapedial
part of the of the canal would, in cases of a swollen nerve after inflammation, cause the facial palsy.
Ključne riječi
Bell's palsy; facial nerve canal; site of the lesion
Hrčak ID:
64739
URI
Datum izdavanja:
7.3.2011.
Posjeta: 1.751 *