Question 8 Answer, Neurology

Eccentric topic of the Week, Neurology
Question 8:

Regarding the facial nerve:

A. A. True: It has a long loop inside the pons
B. True: It has two roots
C. False: It emerges at the ventral mid-portion of the pons
D. False: It is a pure motor cranial nerve
E. False: In Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, the upper face is spared

Answer:

The facial nerve emerges from the brainstem at the lateral pontomedullary junction as two main rootlets (the branchial motor root and the nervus intermedius). The nervus intermedius (Nerve of Wrisberg) is a mixed nerve (contains general sensory, special sensory, and autonomic).
Ramsay-Hunt syndrome produces complete palsy of a lower motor neuron type (the upper face is spared in upper motor neuron lesions). The facial nerve is paralyzed more frequently than any other of the cranial nerves.*

*Pick TP, Howden R. The nervous system. In: Gray’s Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical, 15th edition. London: Chancellor Press, 1985: 721-725.

http://www.colenpublishing.com/