Abstract
A case report of endotemporal branching of the facial nerve is presented, and the literature on this anomaly reviewed. A 58-year-old female complaining of hearing disturbance and discomfort in her left ear presented with a mass in the ear canal. At surgery, the facial nerve was found to bifurcate into the mastoid. The anterior branch was smaller in diameter than the posterior branch, and the chorda tympani originated from it. Although the anterior branch was cut by the drill during surgery, facial nerve palsy did not occur postoperatively. The mass was histopathologically diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma, probably of ceruminous gland origin.
