The Journal of Laryngology & Otology

Table of Contents - September 2012 - Volume 126, Issue 09  

Main Articles

Clinical feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging as a prognostic tool in idiopathic acute facial palsy

B C Juna1, K H Changa1 c1, S J Leea1 and Y S Parka1

a1 Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Objective: To assess the feasibility of temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating the severity and prognosis of idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy.

Methods: Forty-four patients with idiopathic acute facial nerve palsy who had undergone gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were selected retrospectively. The degree of radiological facial nerve enhancement was determined using quantitative analysis (with region-of-interest measurements for separate facial nerve segments) and using subjective visual analysis. The clinical severity of facial nerve palsy was then correlated with the degree of facial nerve enhancement.

Results: The visually determined degree of facial nerve enhancement did not correlate significantly with the House–Brackmann grade at either the early or late stages (p > 0.05). Results using the region-of-interest system were similar (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging is not essential for patients with acute facial nerve palsy.

(Accepted January 04 2012)

(Online publication July 12 2012)

Key words

Correspondence:

c1 Address for correspondence: Dr Ki Hong Chang, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, 62 Yeouido-dong, Yeungdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-713, South Korea Fax: +82 2 789 1148 E-mail: khchang@catholic.ac.kr

Footnotes

Dr K H Chang takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

Competing interests: None declared

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