Facial paralysis should have MRI or CT?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Le Anh Viet - Radiologist - Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine - Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Facial nerve palsy, also known as peripheral cranial nerve palsy, is a condition in which the patient has complete or partial loss of movement of the hemifacial muscles. The cause of facial nerve paralysis is damage to the facial nerve. Currently, to detect and diagnose facial nerve damage, doctors can order magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). So, should facial nerve paralysis be MRI or CT?

1. What is facial nerve paralysis? Causes of facial nerve paralysis

Nerve VII is a motor nerve and has the function of controlling facial and neck muscle movements. Facial paralysis is caused by paralysis of the seventh peripheral nerve. In folklore, facial paralysis is a disease of the wind.

2. Causes of facial nerve paralysis

Because the nerve is damaged when the blood vessel supplying the nerve is constricted, it causes ischemia and edema, pressing on the nerve. Paralysis is often spontaneous and is associated with the cold factor.
The facial nerve has a complex path, passing from the central nervous system through the temporal bone and parotid gland, before securing nerve distribution to the muscles of the face.
Facial paralysis can also be related to the viral attack on the facial nerve causing the facial nerve to become inflamed.
In addition, there are other causes such as inflammation or infection of the facial cord, trauma, cerebrovascular disease, tumor in the head or neck, stroke, accident during medical intervention, trauma ,...

3. Signs of facial nerve paralysis

Patients will have the following common signs:
The face is sagging or unusually stiff. Mouth distorted, deviated to one side. One eye cannot be closed.

Drinking water is difficult, often spills out. The face feels numb and one side of the face is weak. Hard to laugh, hard to talk. Pain in the ear, headache. Poor taste. Tears and saliva are produced more than usual.

4. Neuro facial paralysis should MRI or CT?

Magnetic resonance or computerized tomography are both techniques applied in medicine to capture and record images to help doctors detect and diagnose images of patients. MRI or CT differ in the principle of operation

5. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a imaging technique that uses radio waves and magnetic fields. Magnetic waves and radio waves will affect the hydrogen atoms in the body, causing these atoms to absorb and release RF energy. The machine will receive, process and convert the signals received during RF release into images displayed on the screen.

Advantages of magnetic resonance imaging technique:
The obtained images have high sharpness, contrast and clarity, along with good anatomical details, even 3D images can be reproduced. for a more realistic view.
In many cases where the diagnosis of pathology is needed, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a much better diagnostic effect than the CT scan technique.

6. Computed tomography (CT)

The tomography machine has been improved and developed into many lines to meet the needs of diagnosis and disease detection. CT is now widely used in clinical practice, being applied to all parts of the body, faster imaging time and higher image quality.
Advantages of computed tomography for facial nerve palsy:
Clear images due to lack of overlap The resolution of soft tissue images is much higher than radiographs. Quick capture time. The technique uses X-rays, so it can be used for imaging patients with contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (patients being put on a pacemaker, having a metal heart valve in their body, using a fixed hearing aid). identification, metal remains...)
However, computed tomography (CT) scan also has more limitations than using magnetic resonance imaging method when diagnosing patients with facial nerve paralysis such as:
Because of the strong penetrating power of X-rays, CT is more difficult to detect soft-tissue lesions than when using MRI. Organs and lesions of the same attenuation are difficult to detect and distinguish on CT. The image resolution of CT is lower than that of MRI, especially of soft tissue structures, so it is difficult for CT to detect small lesions. CT is a technique that uses X-rays and causes radiation. The level of radiation exposure for each scan is within the allowable limits.

Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography can be applied when diagnosing facial paralysis, depending on the clinical situation that the doctor decides. Therefore, the doctor may order:
CT scan – if the patient has facial paralysis related to trauma, ear infection... Magnetic resonance imaging if the doctor considers it necessary to evaluate the condition of the facial cord and brain of the disease. The article has partly answered the question of readers about Neurological facial paralysis should MRI or CT scan. Vinmec International General Hospital with a system of modern facilities and medical equipment including the most modern ultrasound machines of GE Healthcare of the US such as Voluson S8, Voluson S9, 5 Digital DR X-ray machines , 3 3 Tesla silent MRI scanners, 1 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, 1 256-row CT scanner, 2 512-sequence CT scanners and 1 640-sequence CT scanner of the world's leading manufacturers such as GE, Siemens, With a team of experts and doctors with many years of experience in medical examination and treatment, patients can rest assured that they will be examined and treated for neurological diseases at the Hospital.

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