title: Morphologic and morphometric study of the facial nerve in clinically normal adult dogs.
abstract: A morphologic and morphometric study was carried out on the facial nerve: to determine normal histologic data in myelinated fibers of clinically normal young adult dogs; to establish reference values for mean fiber diameter, and to delineate the relative diameter frequency distribution curve. Few degenerative changes were observed in single teased-nerve fibers and semithin cross-sectional nerve preparations. Statistical difference was not observed between left and right facial nerves. The distribution of fiber diameters in the facial nerve was unimodal. Mean (+/- SD) fiber diameter of the facial nerve was 3.92 +/- 1.18 microns. Approximately 89% of fibers in the facial nerve had diameter between 3 and 6 microns. Fiber diameter ranged from 2 to 12 microns; however, less than 1% of fibers had diameter greater than 8 microns.
authors.affiliation: Neuromuscular Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL 36849.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Braund
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Amling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toivio-Kinnucan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure*