Humans ; Facial Injuries/etiology* ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo investigate the optimal timing for the repair of persistent incomplete facial paralysis by hypoglossal-facial 'side'-to-side neurorrhaphy in rats.

METHODSA total of 30 adult rats with crushed and bulldog-clamped facial nerve injury were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6 each) that were subjected to injury without nerve repair or with immediate repair, 2-week-delayed repair, 4-week-delayed repair, or 8-week-delayed repair. Three months later, the effects of repair in each rat were evaluated by facial symmetry assessment, electrophysiological examination, retrograde labeling, and axon regeneration measurement.

RESULTSAt 3 months after injury, the alpha angle significantly increased in the group of rats with 4-week-delayed repair compared with the other four groups. Upon stimulation of the facial nerve or Pre degenerated nerve, the muscle action potentials MAPs were recorded in the whisker pad muscle, and the MAP amplitude and area under the curve in the 4-week-delayed repair group were significantly augmented at 3 months post-injury. Similarly, the number of retrograde-labeled motor neurons in the facial and hypoglossal nuclei was quantified to be significantly greater in the 4-week-delayed repair group than in the other groups, and a large number of regenerated axons was also observed.

CONCLUSIONThe results of this study demonstrated that hemiHN-FN neurorrhaphy performed 4 weeks after facial nerve injury was most effective in terms of the functional recovery of axonal regeneration and activation of facial muscles.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Facial Nerve ; surgery ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; complications ; surgery ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; surgery ; Hypoglossal Nerve ; surgery ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; methods ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of labyrinthine fistula and obtain the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of different types of fistula. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 42 cases (43 ears) with labyrinthine fistula in our hospital from January 2007 to November 2014 was conducted. Data of preoperative clinical manifestation, auditory function, CT image, operative findings, treatment and postoperative recovery were collected and statistically analysed. RESULT: Thirty-nine cases (40 ears) of the 42 cases (43 ears) which were diagnosed as labyrinthine fistula according to operative findings occurred in the lateral semicircular canal, 1 case occurred in the posterior semicircular canal, 1 case occurred in the superior semicircular canal, and 1 case occurred both in lateral and posterior semicircular canal. Before operation, 24 ears (55.8% ) experienced vertigo and 14 ears (32.6%) showed impaired bone conduction hearing threshold. According to Dornhoffer classification standard, 22 cases (23 ears) were diagnosed as type I fistula, 9 cases as type II fistula and 11 cases as type III fistula. There was no statistical difference among the 3 groups on type of hearing loss, vertigo, CT, facial nerve canal damage before operation and bone conduction hearing threshold, vertigo after operation. CONCLUSION An accurate diagnosis of labyrinthine fistula relies on the operative findings rather than preoperative clinical manifestation, auditory function or CT The surgical intervention should be individualized. There is no significant difference on postoperative recovery among different types of labyrinthine fistula.
Bone Conduction ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear ; complications ; Deafness ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; Fistula ; etiology ; Humans ; Labyrinth Diseases ; etiology ; Otitis Media ; complications ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Vertigo

Child ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Wounds and Injuries ; complications

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of micro-plasma radio frequency treatment of facial post-burn hyperpigmentation.

METHODSFrom June 2012 to August 2013, a total of 25 cases with facial post-burn hyperpigmentation were treated with micro-plasma treatment for 3-5 times. The roller tip was used with setting of 60-90 watts and 3-4 passes were performed in different directions. Treatments were repeated at an interval of 8 weeks.

RESULTSAll patients tolerated the pain. After treatment, the facial hyperpigmentation improved. Complete recovery was achieved in 4 cases; significant improvement in 11 cases; moderate in 7 cases and no effect in 3 cases. No hyperpigmentation, depigmentation and scar formation was observed.

CONCLUSIONMicro-plasma radio frequency treatment is an ideal treatment for post-burn hyperpigmentation with lower side effect.

Aged ; Burns ; complications ; Cicatrix ; Facial Dermatoses ; etiology ; therapy ; Facial Injuries ; complications ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; etiology ; therapy ; Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment ; instrumentation ; methods

There is a close functional relationship between the jaw and neck regions and it has been suggested that trigeminal sensory impairment can follow whiplash injury. Inclusion of manageable routines for valid assessment of the facial sensory capacity is thus needed for comprehensive evaluations of patients exposed to such trauma. The present study investigated facial thermal thresholds in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) with both a qualitative method and quantitative sensory testing (QST). Ten women with pain and dysfunction following a whiplash injury were compared to 10 healthy age-matched women. Thermal detection thresholds were assessed by qualitative chair-side testing and by QST according to the method-of-limits. Seven test sites in the facial skin (overlying each trigeminal branch bilaterally, and the midpoint of the chin) were examined. The detection warm and cold thresholds were defined as the mean values of 10 individual thresholds. For the WAD patients, the qualitative assessment demonstrated both reduced and increased sensitivity compared to the healthy, whereas QST systematically showed significantly higher detection thresholds (i.e., decreased sensitivity) for both cold and warm stimuli. For the individuals who were assessed as having increased sensitivity in the qualitative assessment, the QST displayed either normal or higher thresholds, i.e., decreased sensitivity. The results suggest that QST is more sensitive for detecting thermal sensory disturbances in the face than a qualitative method. The impaired thermal sensitivity among the patients corroborates the notion of altered thermal detection capacity induced by WAD-related pain.
Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Facial Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Neck Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Sensory Thresholds ; Skin ; physiopathology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Thermosensing ; Trigeminal Nerve Injuries ; complications ; physiopathology ; Whiplash Injuries ; complications ; physiopathology

Diplopia ; etiology ; Enophthalmos ; etiology ; Exophthalmos ; etiology ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; etiology ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Orbit ; blood supply ; surgery ; Orbital Fractures ; surgery ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Reflex, Trigeminocardiac ; Vision, Low ; etiology

Adult ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; etiology ; Foreign Bodies ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Parotid Gland

OBJECTIVETo look for the best method of repairing nose and adjacent tissue defect after burn and observe the effect.

METHODSTwelve patients with post-burn nose and adjacent tissue defect deformities hospitalized from January 1999 to December 2008 were repaired with expanded forehead flap, pedicled upper-arm flap, axial post-auricular reversed flow island flap, and nasolabial groove flap. Among them, 4 cases with total nasal defect, 8 cases with partial nasal defect; and 3 cases were accompanied with scars on cheek, 5 cases accompanied with scars on forehead, 5 cases accompanied with upper lip ectropion and subtotal upper lip defect. The skin flap size ranged from 3.0 cm x 1.5 cm to 10.0 cm x 8.0 cm.

RESULTSFive cases were repaired with expanded forehead flap, 3 cases with pedicled upper-arm flap, 1 case with axial post-auricular reversed flow island flap, and 3 cases with nasolabial groove flap respectively. All the 12 flaps survived. Patients were followed up for 1 to 7 years, and nasal function and appearance were obviously improved.

CONCLUSIONSOptimal repairing method shall be chosen to repair nasal defect after burn according to its extent, and forehead flap is preferred. Pedicled upper-arm flap and reversed flow axial post-auricular island flap can be employed if local flap and ortho-position skin flap are unavailable when obvious scar is present on face as a result of severe burn.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burns ; complications ; surgery ; Child ; Facial Injuries ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo summarize and analyse the techniques of avoiding facial nerve injury during acoustic neuroma microsurgery.

METHODSOne hundred and eighty patients with large acoustic neuroma (> or =4 cm) and 70 patients with medium acoustic neuroma (2.4-4.0 cm) were diagnosed by MRI/ CT scan before operation and confirmed by postoperative pathologic examination. All of patients were treated by sub-occipital retrosigmoid approach for tumor removal and facial nerve reservation during operation. The relationships among the bone, arachnoid, nerve and vascular anatomy were particularly observed during the operation. After decompression of the tumor, the origination and location of the facial nerve as well as the relationship between the tumor and the facial nerve should be identified. The patients were followed-up from 6 months to 1 year postoperatively and assessed by House-Brackmann facial nerve function grading system.

RESULTSTotal tumor resection was achieved in 240 of 250 cases (96%) and subtotal in 10 cases including 1 case died because of cerebellar encephalomalacia after operation. According to the House-Brackmann facial nerve function grading, recovery of normal function (grade I) was achieved in 214 cases (85.6%), grade II in 25 cases (10%), grade III in 5 cases (2.09%) and grade IV in 5 cases (2.09%).

CONCLUSIONMicroneurosurgical techniques are helpful for total resection of acoustic neuroma and keeping facial nerve anatomic intact.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Nerve Injuries ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Male ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult