We thank Dr. Nduka et al. for this interesting article [1]. We very much enjoyed reading the detailed Instructions for Sonography of the Mimic Musculature [2]. We found the schematic, yet practice-orientated drawings helpful for visualizing the complex facial anatomical relationships and different planes. We see our structured working protocol as add-on to their work [3].
Together with other advancements in clinical facial palsy (FP) diagnostics and basic scientific translational efforts, such as automated grading systems or axon quantification, high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) enlarges the FP surgeon’s arsenal and understanding of FP disease [4,5,6,7,8,9].
Reading both publications, FP surgeons with basic levels of knowledge of facial HRUS may enhance their clinical workflow and refine their diagnostic setting in FP patients. Such an evidence-based approach might promote FP patient care, scientific data acquisition, and cost-effectiveness.
In future studies, the combination of facial HRUS and machine learning should explore the feasibility of automatizing this diagnostic step. Overall, facial HRUS represents a promising research field for both basic and clinical studies, and we are looking forward to future developments in facial HRUS.
Author Contributions
Investigation, A.K. and L.K.; writing—original draft preparation, A.K. and L.K.; writing—review and editing, L.P. and S.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Funding Statement
This research received no external funding.
Footnotes
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
References
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