Visualization of Intraparotid Facial Nerve and Tumor Relationship: Feasibility and Accuracy Assessment

Motivation: Determining the degree of compression of the intraparotid facial nerve by the parotid tumor is helpful in formulating preoperative planning. Goal(s): To assess the degree of compression exerted by the tumor on the IFN with a constructive interference in steady-state (CISS) sequence. Approach: CISS sequences were used to determine the location of parotid tumors and their contact with the facial nerve. Results: The accuracy of CISS images in determining tumor location was found to be 91.4%. Furthermore, CISS images demonstrated excellent concordance with surgical results (Κ = 0.96) in evaluating the extent of tumor compression on nerves. Impact: The CISS sequence improves the accuracy of parotid tumor localization and is reliable in assessing the relationship between the tumor and the facial nerve; knowing this relationship helps reduce the risk of facial nerve injury during surgery.