XXXIII Anomalies of the Facial Nerve in Normal Temporal Bones

Abstract

Three examples of "splitting" of the facial nerve in its vertical portion are presented. They were present in otherwise normal specimens of temporal bones. The embryology and comparative anatomy of the facial nerve are briefly reviewed in an attempt to find a possible explanation for this anatomical variation. An opinion is presented suggesting that this may represent simply an absence of the vertical portion of the nerve, as it appears in lower vertebrates and during the early embryological development in man.