Pathological features of human facial nerve after central injury during tumor removal, with special reference to the non-motor component.

After injury to the intracranial portion of the facial nerve, undegenerated myelinated nerve fibres were seen to form a distinct bundle in the peripheral part of the transverse fascicular area at the level distal to the geniculate ganglion. The numbers and diameters of the fibres were similar to those seen in the nervous intermedius portion of the facial nerve in experimental animals. The average number of these apparently non-motor fibres was 2500. Their average diameter was 2.4 micrometer.