AURICULOPALPEBRAL NERVE BLOCK INDICATIONS The eyelids are innervated

AURICULOPALPEBRAL NERVE BLOCK INDICATIONS

� The eyelids are innervated by the auriculopalpebral nerve. The nerve is a motor branch of facial nerve supplying to the orbicularis occuli muscle of the eye lid and therefore the block produces akinesia only. It is mostly used in large animals for examination of eye, in blepharospasm and for removal of foreign bodies. The nerve runs from the base of the ear along the facial crest, past and ventral of the eye giving of its branches on the way.

� Surgical affection related to eyelid (entropion, ectropion and prolapse of 3 rd eyelid) � To avoid the blinking reflex of the eye lid to examine and treat the eye � To relieve the spasm of the eye lids following injury � To use in conjunction with Peterson’s block, during surgical treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of eye � To aid in the removal of foreign body from cornea � Subconjunctival injections.

ADVANTAGES � Provides excellent eyelid akinesis � Can be used in cooperation with sedation and other regional blocks

DISADVANTAGES � The auriculopalpebral nerve block is purely motor and does not remove sensation. Only the upper eyelid is consistently blocked. � The supraorbital, lacrimal, infratrochlear and zygomatic nerves require blocking to remove all periocular sensation � Other regional blocks such as dorsal buccal nerve block (inject along facial crest) are required to remove all lower lid movement