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Updated: Jul 22, 2025

Single-stage Dynamic Reanimation of the Smile in Irreversible Facial Paralysis by Free Functional Muscle Transfer
Published on: March 1, 2015
Stylohyoid fracture resulting in facial paralysis
Brooke Bocklud1, Gauri Mankekar2
1School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA beb001@lsuhs.edu.
None:
A female patient in her early 30s was referred to the otology clinic for progressive left facial paralysis. Two weeks prior to the onset of the paralysis, she had heard a loud cracking sound when drinking water. A CT scan showed a left styloid fracture near the stylomastoid foramen, compressing the facial nerve. Varicella IgG and IgM were negative, but the patient was started on a tapering course of steroids and valacyclovir. Approximately 1 month after the original incident, her left facial nerve paralysis improved. This report describes the unusual cause of facial paralysis and discusses the importance of history taking and imaging studies.
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