Postoperative evaluation after injury of the temporal branch of the facial nerve: a case report

Abstract

A 28-year-old female patient, with a fissured temporal branch of the facial nerve that was located beside the eyeball, underwent suturing of the nerve 25 days after injury. We evaluated the clinical and neurophysiological findings in that case 2 years postoperatively. The ability to raise the eyebrow on the injured side was nearly as good as that on the non-injured side. Contraction of the frontal muscle on the injured side was not complete. We examined electromyographic activities in the frontal muscles, comparing findings between the injured and non-injured side. There was no significant neurophysiological difference between the injured and non-injured side. We suggest that if it is possible to find the fissured nerve that is located at a central site compared to the entrance of the frontal muscle, it would be preferable to suture the nerve even nearly one month after injury in order to improve the cosmetic outcome.