[Facial nerve injuries caused by firearms]

In the period from 1990 to 1994, 52 facial nerve injuries caused by fragments firearm projectiles were managed. Their features (localization, severity and extensiveness) were correlated with 37 nerve injuries in blunt head injuries with fracture of temporal bone. In blunt head injuries, 81.1% patients were with the nerve lesion in the area of geniculate ganglion (labyrinthine and tympanic segment). Compression of nerve with bone fragments of fallopian tube was found in 56.8% cases, the cleft of neural sheath and intraneural hematoma were rarer, while the nerve tear was not found in any injured. The distal part of mastoid and beginning part of parotid nerve segment were injured in over 70% cases of gunshot injuries, and in 38.5% cases the injury was multiple. Direct suture was performed in 8 nerve injuries, neuroplasty in 6, and the other injuries were managed by skeletization of fallopian tube, nerve decompression or some other microsurgical procedure. Micro-surgery was performed 7-14 days after the injury.