title: Facial nerve: from anatomy to pathology.
abstract: The facial nerve (CN VII) emerges from the facial nerve nucleus in the pons. It is accompanied by CN VIII along its cisternal pathway, as well as at the internal auditory meatus. Its petrous pathway includes a labyrinthine segment, a horizontal tympanic segment and a vertical mastoid segment until the stylomastoid foramen. It then continues to the parotid gland. Pontine impairment is usually associated with other neurological symptoms. Lesions of the cerebellopontine angle (most often meningioma and schwannoma) initially result in impairment of CN VIII. The impairment of CN VII takes second place. Peripheral impairment (outside of a traumatic context) is most often due to Bell's palsy.
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiologie diagnostique et interventionnelle, Hôpital Laennec, CHU de Nantes, boulevard Jacques-Monod - Saint-Herblain, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France. Electronic address: frederique.toulgoat@chu-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toulgoat
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sarrazin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benoudiba
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pereon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auffray-Calvier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Daumas-Duport
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lintia-Gaultier
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Desal
mesh_terms: D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D005155:Facial Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Cranial nerves; Facial nerve (CN VII); Pathology