FACIAL NERVE INTRATEMPORAL TRAUMA

Course overview

TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES ARE UNCOMMON BUT INVOLVE MANY IMPORTANT STRUCTURES RESULTING IN VARIOUS DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC ISSUES. A LARGE AMOUNT OF FORCE IS REQUIRED TO FRACTURE THE TEMPORAL BONE, SO PATIENTS PRESENT WITH OTHER INJURIES THAT USUALLY TAKE PRECEDENCE COMPARATIVELY. UNLIKE FRACTURES IN OTHER HEAD AND NECK REGIONS, THE MANAGEMENT OF TEMPORAL BONE FRACTURES IS PURSUED TO ADDRESS FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS RATHER THAN REDUCTION AND FIXATION. SINCE THE TEMPORAL BONE IS NON-WEIGHT BEARING, COSMETIC SEQUELAE ARE RARE SECONDARY TO THIS TRAUMA. HOWEVER, FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS FROM FACIAL NERVE DYSFUNCTION CAN BE DEVASTATING TO A PATIENT FROM NOT ONLY A FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE BUT ALSO AS A COSMETIC ISSUE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF CN VII/TEMPORAL BONE TRAUMA INJURIES AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING THE CONDITION.