Management of intratemporal facial nerve schwannomas: The evolution of treatment paradigms from 2000-2015

Figure 1 Line drawing of the facial nerve. The nerve takes a very tortuous course through the temporal bone within the Fallopian canal before exiting the skull base at the SMF. Any portion, intra or extratemporal, can be affected by a facial nerve schwannoma. a: Nerve as it exits the brainstem and crosses the cerebellopontine angle; b: Labyrinthine segment; c: Geniculate ganglion; d: Tympanic segment; e: Mastoid segment; f: Chorda tympani nerve; arrow: Intracanilicular segment. ¹Nerve to stapedius; ²Greater superficial petrosal nerve. (Joshua M Klein, MSM I artist). SMF: Stylomastoid foramen.