DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2015.v03i03.008

Pages: 202-204

The facial nerve exits the skull at the stylomastoid foramen and enters the parotid gland high up on its posteromedial surface and passes forward and downwards behind the mandibular ramus. Within the substance of parotid it branches into superior (temporofacial) and inferior (cervicofacial) trunks which collectively give five main peripheral branches radiating out across the face. During routine dissection of head and neck region for medical undergraduates, the face was dissected of an 86 year’s old embalmed female cadaver in the Department of Anatomy, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar. Following the fine dissection, we noticed the variation in branching pattern of facial nerve on the right side of face and same pattern was observed on left side too. The challenge to head and neck surgeons in parotid surgery is adequate removal of the tumour with functional and anatomical preservation of all branches of the facial nerve. So surgeons have to keep in mind the variations for successful surgery.