Otoneurological problems in head injuries and their management

In facial nerve injury, the guidelines for treatment are time of onset, electrical responses, other concomitant damage such as CSF otorrhea or ossicular disruption, and associated infective conditions such as cholesteatoma. Four patients with CSF otorrhea responded well to conservative treatment, one patient needed postauricular mastoidectomy as there was an associated cholesteatoma and one required surgery when conservative treatment failed to stop the otorrhea. Two cases of deafness due to ossicular disruption were seen in the postoperative convalescent phase. Five other cases were discovered during routine examinations for conductive deafness. All seven patiens underwent surgery for incudostapedial joint separation.