Epineurial repair of an iatrogenic facial nerve neurotmesis after total ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy in a dog with concurrent cranio-mandibular osteopathy

Calvo, I., Espadas, I., Hammond, G. and Pratschke, K. (2014) Epineurial repair of an iatrogenic facial nerve neurotmesis after total ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy in a dog with concurrent cranio-mandibular osteopathy. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 85(1), pp. 1-4. (doi: 10.4102/jsava.v85i1.1050)

Abstract

A 7-year-old male entire West Highland white terrier was referred to the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Glasgow for bilateral, chronic, medically unresponsive otitis media and externa. A history of cranio-mandibular osteopathy was also reported. Bilateral total ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy was performed with the aid of a pneumatic burr. Extensive bone proliferation was present bilaterally originating from the caudal mandibular ramus and tympanic bulla which incorporated the horizontal canal on each side. The right facial nerve was identified leaving the stylomastoid foramen and running in a cranial direction through a 1.5 cm diameter cuff of bone surrounding the horizontal canal and external acoustic meatus. Despite careful dissection, a facial nerve neurotmesis ensued which required microsurgical epineurial repair. Neurologic examination performed 12 h post-operatively revealed abnormalities consistent with right facial nerve paralysis. At 3 months, the facial nerve function was found to have improved significantly and was assessed to be normal four months after surgery. To the authors’ knowledge, this clinical communication described the first reported clinical case where unilateral facial nerve paralysis resulting from iatrogenic facial nerve neurotmesis was successfully treated by microsurgical epineurial repair.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Pratschke, Ms Kathryn and Hammond, Dr Gawain and Calvo, Mr Ignacio
• Authors: Calvo, I., Espadas, I., Hammond, G., and Pratschke, K.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
• Publisher: South African Veterinary Association
• ISSN: 1019-9128
• ISSN (Online): 2224-9435
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 The Authors
• First Published: First published in the Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 85(1):1-4
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License