Course of the Facial Nerve in Congenital Dysplasia of the External Auditory Canal: A High-Resolution Computerized Tomography Study

Congenital dysplasia of the external auditory canal (EAC) appars with a frequency of 1 : 10000 to 1 : 20 000 births [4] Surgical correction of congenital dysplasia of the EAC is difficult. The facial nerve almost always has an abnormal course and can be injured easily during operation [5] Radiological identification of the facial nerve canal, however, is no guarantee that the facial nerve is enclosed. The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed analysis of the course of the facial nerve in congenital dysplasia of the EAC.