Fine dissection was carried out in 79 facial halves from formalin fixed Malaysian adult cadavers of various races, to trace the extracranial part of the facial nerve and its peripheral branches. The facial nerve trunk, after leaving the stylomastoid foramen was located at a depth of 1 to 2 cm from the skin in the vagino-mastoid angle. It bifurcates at the posterior border of the ramus of the mandible and in 3.8% trifurcation was found. Mean distance of bifurcation from the angle of the mandible was 28.06 mm and 81.0% were within the range of 21 to 35 mm. The branching patterns were classified into six types, and the frequency of occurrence was type I 11.39%, type II 15.9%, type III 34.18%, type IV 18.98%, type V 7.59% and type VI 12.67%. Type I, a classical text book pattern was found to be one of the least common patterns. There is no significant difference in percentage of each type between the present study and that of Koreans, though some differences with Caucasians were noted in three uncommon types. The frontal branch could be outlined between the two diverging lines from the earlobe to the lateral ends of the eyebrow and the highest frontal crease. Posterior to the facial artery, the mandibular branch was seen passing below the inferior border of the mandible in 20%; anterior to the artery, this nerve divides into one to four branches. In almost all the cases, branches to the mentalis and the depressor labii inferioris muscles and infrequently branches to the depressor angular oris were seen below the inferior border of the mandible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
We investigated the histology and carbohydrate content of the parotid and mandibular glands of the barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak). Three adult males were used. Paraffin wax sections of the glands were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE), alcian blue (AB), pH 2.5 and periodic acid Schiff (PAS). The acinar cells of the parotid gland were serous, whereas those of the mandibular gland were of the mixed type. The acini of the mandibular gland comprised serous and mucous cells with the mucous type predominating. AB and PAS staining showed high concentrations of acidic and neutral carbohydrates in the mucous cells, but not in the serous cells of the mandibular gland. These carbohydrates were also found in moderate-to-high concentrations in the secreted material in the mandibular duct lumen. However, these carbohydrates were not found in acinar cells of the parotid gland or in the serous cells of the mandibular gland. Thus, carbohydrates in the saliva of the barking deer appear to be produced mainly by the mucous cells of the mandibular glands.