Preliminary Diagnosis: Bell's Palsy
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?
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MRI of the brain with contrast, 7th cranial nerve protocol
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of Bell's palsy.
Advantages
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Can define and characterize the 7th cranial nerve from the brainstem throught the parotid in all three planes
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Revealing of inflammation along the 7th cranial nerve
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Disadvantages
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Time consuming
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Requires significant patient cooperation to minimize motion artifact.
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
Contraindicated in patients with non-MR-compatible hardware.
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
No alternative imaging techniques exist.
V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis of Bell's palsy.
Not applicable
VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?
Not applicable.
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