Facial nerve proper

The term "facial nerve proper" is a new term for the peripheral part of the facial nerve. It is analoguous to the extratemporal segment of facial nerve that begins as the facial nerve exits the temporal bone through the stylomastoid foramen.

But this term remains unclear, because, for some authors, the facial nerve proper is described as :

"The facial nerve exits the brain stem from its ventrolateral surface at the cerebellopontine angle. It consists of two parts: a proper facial nerve and the intermediate nerve. The proper facial nerve contains only a motor component and a very small general somatic afferent component, whereas the intermediate nerve carries sensory and parasympathetic visceromotor components."