Unilateral Forehead Paralysis Following Operative Repair of Facial Trauma: A Case Study and Review of the Literature

The temporal branch of the facial nerve is a commonly injured nerve during facial trauma due to its superficial course over the zygomatic arch, and is a commonly damaged nerve during facial surgery. We report a case of trauma to the left temporal fossa, and subsequent unilateral forehead paralysis. Early exploration revealed external suture compression as the origin of his paralysis. Removal of the suture led to complete resolution of the neurological deficit. The differential diagnosis did not include the possibility of the compression of the nerve by a suture, however the decision for early exploration led to a full recovery.