Fig. 1

Determination of the injured site of facial nerve by preoperative high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and inoperative exploration. Illustrated case, male, 51-year-old, suffered from complete transection of facial nerve between the second genu and tympanic segment in the tympanoplasty for right-side chronic suppurative otitis media. a Multiplanar reconstructed CT image revealed the fallopian canal of the second genu and tympanic segment was defective on the right; b on the contralateral left side, the whole course of fallopian canal was intact; c d axial CT images revealed fallopian canal of tympanic segment was defective, and vestibule was injured; e correspondingly in exploration, the fallopian canal of the second genu and tympanic segment was defective, the facial nerve was transected (black arrow) and traumatic neuroma developed at the proximal ending (white arrow); f after removal of the traumatic neuroma and trimming the endings (white arrow), vestibule was found injured (black arrow)