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


CONCLUSIONS
Temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging is not essential for patients with acute facial nerve palsy.
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
B C
BC
Jun
K H
KH
Chang
S J
SJ
Lee
Y S
YS
Park
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000294:innervation*; D055815:Young Adult
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA