The facial nerve reaches the muscles of the face through the internal auditory canal, the middle ear, the mastoid portion of the skull, and finally through the parotid salivary gland.
Disorders of the facial nerve may cause weakness and paralysis of the face, weakness of eye closure, drooping of the brow or lip, or abnormal twitching or distortion of the face.
Because of the facial nerve’s long course through the ear (temporal bone), numerous disorders can affect the nerve, including ear infection, injury and tumors. After a proper diagnosis, there are a variety of medical and surgical treatments that may reverse or at least improve deformity and dysfunction caused by facial nerve disorders.
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