Ultrastructural Investigations on the Degenerative and Regenerative Processes in Chorda Tympani in Bell's Paralysis

Abstract

Our ultrastructural findings in investigated cases of Bell's palsy have demonstrated that the degenerative changes did not proceed at the same speed from the onset of the paralysis—in other words the regeneration changed in accordance with the topography of the nerve. Although the endoneural sheath preserved its integrity, swellings in the Schwann cells have attracted much attention. Furthermore the perineural tissue presented changes which were closely correlated with the degenerative and regenerative processes due to paralysis. In addition to these findings, although the interval between the onset of paralysis and the operation was the same in all our cases, the observation of a more severe degenerative picture of the nerves in the female patients may seem to be an interesting finding, but to the lack of an adequate number of cases which would enable a statistical evaluation, we are strongly of the opinion that this subject deserves further study.