Isolated chorda tympani injury following petrous temporal fracture

Petrous temporal fractures account for nearly a fifth of all skull base fractures but are associated with taste disturbance in only 2% of cases. Chorda tympani injuries almost invariably occur in association with other nerve injuries. We present a rare case of an isolated chorda tympani injury associated with a petrous temporal fracture. Our observations suggest that the gustatory fibres in this nerve are segregated into groups subserving different taste modalities.