An anatomical study on the facial nerve trunk in fetus cadavers

Background/aim: Facial nerve paralysis is the most worrying parotid surgery complication. Little attention has been paid to the facial nerve trunk, especially in children. Pathological variations, tumors, and anatomic variations of the facial nerve may cause parotid and facial nerve surgery difficulties. This study describes the facial nerve trunk. Materials and methods: We measured the facial nerve trunk from 8 female and 8 male fetus cadavers aged 21.0 to 35.5 gestational weeks. The locations and positions of the trunks were described. The length of the facial nerve trunk (K) was measured and bifurcation and trifurcation of the trunk was examined. Values were analyzed separately for right and left sides and for male and female fetuses. Results: The most common facial nerve trunk type was bifurcation (81.25%), followed by trifurcation (18.75%). K was 11.59 ± 2.80 mm in the total fetuses. There was no significant difference between K measurements. Conclusion: Facial nerve injury during parotid surgery is a main cause of pediatric facial paralysis. There are few previous descriptions of the facial trunk in children. K must be accurately known in any surgical procedure planned for the area. The main furcation of the facial nerve should also receive special attention.