Unusual Mechanism of Facial Nerve Palsy Caused by Penetrating Neck Trauma

Abstract

We present a case of a low energy penetrating neck injury with only facial nerve (FN) palsy in the clinical finding. A 32-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with a penetrating injury on the right side of the neck just behind the right ear, accompanied by evident right (FN) palsy, evaluated as House Brackmann grade IV. Computed tomography demonstrated an isolated soft tissue injury in the right retroauricular region without bone fracture, parotid gland lesion, or vascular structure involvement. The FN palsy was treated with corticosteroids (CS), and the patient had an uneventful and complete recovery. This case report presents an unusual mechanism of isolated, extratemporal, blunt injury of the FN after a penetrating neck injury followed by complete recovery.