Effect of topical dexamethasone in reducing dysfunction after facial nerve crush injury in the rat.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To date, the effect of topical steroid after a crush injury to rat facial nerve has rarely been reported on. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of topical dexamethasone on recovery after a crush injury to the rat facial nerve, by functional, electrophysiological, and morphological evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the effects of topical dexamethasone on recovery after a crush injury to rat facial nerve by functional, electrophysiological and morphological evaluation. RESULTS: The functional recovery using vibrissae movement was significantly high scores in the experimental group than control group at two and three weeks post-crush. The recovery of the threshold of muscle action potential was significantly lowered in the experimental group compared to the control (p<0.05). However, there was no statistical significance in the nerve conduction velocity. The dexamethasone treatment groups showed a larger axon diameter and thicker myelin sheath than the control group. CONCLUSION: From our results, topical dexamethasone accelerates recovery of the crush-injured facial nerve.