Tympanic segment of facial nerve

Segmentum tympanicus nervi facialis

  • Related terms: Facial nerve (f2) [VII] (tympanic part)

Definition

The tympanic segment of facial nerve (F4) begins as the facial nerve passes posteriorly at the geniculate ganglion. This segment is located in the medial wall (mastoid wall) of the tympanic cavity, directly below the lateral semicircular canal, and forms the prominence of facial canal. This segment ends at the posterior genu of facial nerve, where the facial nerve passes vertically downwards (beginning of the mastoid segment of facial nerve).

The tympanic segment of facial nerve mesures 8-11 mm in length and has no branch.

References

Text by Antoine Micheau, MD - Copyright IMAIOS

Seneviratne SO, Patel BC. Facial Nerve Anatomy and Clinical Applications. [Updated 2023 May 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554569/

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