title: Transient facial nerve palsy after auriculotemporal nerve block in awake craniotomy patients.
abstract: In this case series, we describe transient postoperative facial nerve palsy in patients after awake craniotomy using selective scalp nerve blocks. In a 1-year period, 7 of the 42 patients receiving scalp nerve blocks at our institutions developed this complication. This is significant because there is only 1 previously reported case of postoperative facial nerve palsy related to scalp nerve blocks. The exact cause of transient postoperative facial nerve palsy after auriculotemporal nerve block is unknown and likely multifactorial. This technique may need to be refined to avoid such complications.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; †Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Section of Neurocritical Care, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; and Departments of ‡Neurological Surgery and §Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McNicholas
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bilotta
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titi
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Antoun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koht