Facial Nerve Injury: A Complication of Superficial Temporal Artery Biopsy

Branch facial nerve palsy can occur with temporal artery biopsy and is likely to result in permanent disability. In all cases the incision was placed within the known course of the frontal branch of the facial nerve. To prevent this rare complication, we advocate biopsy of the parietal, rather than the frontal, branch of the superficial temporal artery.