ENT Updates

Clinical Research

Evaluation of the vascular contacts of the facial nerve on three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition MRI in Bell’s palsy

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https://doi.org/10.2399/jmu.2017002005
Ozan, E., Arslan, H., & Sayın, R. (2017). Evaluation of the vascular contacts of the facial nerve on three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition MRI in Bell’s palsy. ENT Updates, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.2399/jmu.2017002005
Volume 7 Issue 2 (2017)
Copyright (c) 2017 Ebru Ozan, Hande Arslan, Refah Sayın
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors

  • Ebru Ozan Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey
  • Hande Arslan
    Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
  • Refah Sayın Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey

Objective: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the vascular contact patterns of the facial nerve (FN) on three-dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D-FIESTA) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluate the correlation between these patterns, House-Brackmann (HB) grades and outcomes in Bell's palsy (BP).

Methods: Fifty-two patients with BP and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. Besides, a third group was formed by the asymptomatic sides of 52 patients. The vascular contact patterns of the FN on 3D-FIESTA MRI were classified with regard to the presence, number and anatomic location of the contact.

Results: A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of vascular contact patterns of the FN (p<0.001). Multiple vascular contacts were more prominent in the symptomatic sides of the patients. There was a positive statistical correlation between vascular contact patterns and HB grades at presentation and at the 3rd week and 3rd month follow-ups (r=0.335; p=0.015, r=0.587; p<0.001 and r=0.493; p<0.001).

Conclusion: Multiple vascular contacts of the FN on 3D-FIESTA MRI were found to be more common and associated with poor recovery in BP. Thus, 3D-FIESTA MRI may provide prognostic information in BP.

Keywords:

3D-FIESTA MRI Bell’s palsy facial nerve vascular contacts