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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Single-stage Dynamic Reanimation of the Smile in Irreversible Facial Paralysis by Free Functional Muscle Transfer
Published on: March 1, 2015
Facial Nerve Canal Paraganglioma
Emina Arsovic1, Marion Montava2, Jean-Pierre Lavieille2
1From the Department of Nuclear Medicine, La Timone University Hospital, CERIMED.
Abstract:
We report the case of a 72-year-old woman presenting with a progressive left peripheral facial paralysis and a facial canal mass extending through the stylomastoid foramen along the posterior edge of the parotid gland. On MRI, the early and intense enhancement was highly suggestive of paraganglioma but could not rule out a nonossifying hemangioma. Laboratory analysis showed normal plasma metanephrines. On F-FDOPA PET/CT, the mass exhibited a typical paraganglioma feature with a marked tumor uptake. Our case demonstrates that F-FDOPA plays a vital role in this rare entity and can avoid any further confirmatory invasive procedure.
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