Abstract
It has been reported frequently that the contralateral reinnervation of the facial nerve from the healthy side of the face following resection of the facial nerve produces spontaneous recovery. There is a crossing innervation of the facial nerve of the midline of the face. Such innervation may be noted on the orbicularis oris and is up to 2.0cm on the contralateral side. We reported a case of cholesteatoma otitis media with complete facial palsy. After operative resection of the facial nerve, evoked muscle action potential was recorded at the same-side corner of the mouth (4.0cm from the midline). We concluded that this finding indicates that the contralateral reinnervation has ocurred from the healthy side of the face.
