title: Novel mouse model for simulating microsurgical tumor excision with facial nerve preservation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the feasibility of using a mouse tumor model as a microsurgical training tool for otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) trainees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We injected athymic nude mice with human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (A431 cell line) deep to the parotid region overlying the masseter muscle. We sacrificed the animals 1 to 3 weeks postinjection, once a visible tumor growth was confirmed. We then asked 10 OHNS trainees to excise the tumor with preservation of the facial nerves under a high-magnification dissecting microscope. The trainees graded the tasks in several areas of specific measures using a visual analogue scale (VAS) including 1) tumor texture, 2) surgical realism, 3) usefulness, and 4) difficulty of the task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Noticeable tumor growth occurred within 5 days following A431 cell injection and reached measureable size (0.5-1.5 cm) within 1 to 3 weeks. The tumor displaced the facial nerve laterally and medially, with few demonstrating infiltration of the nerve. VAS scores (± standard deviation) were 8.1 (± 1.7), 7.7 (± 2.5), 9.0 (± 0.9) and 6.6 (± 1.9) for tumor texture, surgical realism, usefulness, and the difficulty of the task, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate a novel, reliable and cost-effective mouse model for simulating tumor extirpation microsurgery with preservation of important neural structures. OHNS trainees have found this simulation model to be realistic, useful, and appropriately challenging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Queensland Skull Base Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Jae H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Glen M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Queensland Skull Base Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Benedict
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Panizza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005145:Face / Q000294:innervation*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental
keywords: Microsurgery; facial nerve; skull base tumor; surgical simulation; surgical training; tumor model