Facial nerve morphogenesis: three‐dimensional and multiplanar study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the facial nerve embryology, using three‐dimensional reconstructions from human embryos histological sections, and to compare our results with literature. Human embryos stage 13 to 21 from Carnegie collection and Paris‐Descartes University's Delmas‐Rouvière collection stained with hematoxylin & eosin or Masson's trichrome were used. A local made computer software developed by IADI lab (INSERM U947, Nancy) allowed automatic slices selection, automatic rigid registration, and dust filtering. Once registration had been completed, DICOM files were used with ORS Visual software (v1.5, Montreal), which allowed multiple display and post‐processing possibilities (3D VR; orthogonal/curved multiplanar reformation). Due to large size files, image processing was performed on PC with Windows 7 (64 bit) and 20 GB RAM. Three‐dimensional and multiplanar study of the facial nerve morphogenesis was possible with appropriate thresholding. The size, shape and positional changes of the facial nerve, geniculate ganglion, greater petrosal nerve and chorda tympanic relative to the external and middle ear were studied. Human embryonic facial nerve morphogenesis works are very rare because of the smallness of this anatomical structure. Our study using historic human embryos histological sections has shown the facial nerve growth. The precise knowledge of this morphogenesis will help to better understand congenital malformations.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.