Anatomy & Histology · single question
A patient woke with unilateral facial paralysis, drooling, palatal/mucosal ulcers not crossing midline, a facial rash, and altered taste. Which nerve branch causes the loss of taste?
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Correct answer: B. Chorda tympani
- A. The greater petrosal nerve carries parasympathetic fibers to the lacrimal gland (affects tearing), not anterior tongue taste.
- B. Correct. The chorda tympani (branch of CN VII) carries taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue; its involvement explains the taste disturbance.
- C. The lingual nerve (CN V3) carries general sensation; it transports chorda tympani fibers but is not itself the facial-nerve taste branch.
- D. The auriculotemporal nerve is sensory/secretomotor to the parotid region, not taste.
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