Electrophysiologic assessment of the subclinical changes in facial functions after parotidectomy.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to evaluate whether there was a subclinical change in the functions of the facial nerve after parotidectomy.

METHODS

Facial nerve functions of 21 patients who had parotidectomy between January 1999 and December 2003 were assessed using electromyography (EMG) at least 5 years after the surgery.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between both sides of the face in the EMG amplitudes (P > 0.05) except for the amplitudes obtained from the site of nasolabial sulcus (P < 0.05). In the patients who underwent total parotidectomy, the EMG amplitudes were significantly different for both sides of the face (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the comparison of other measurements performed by EMG.

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor histopathologic type (benign or malignant) and type of parotidectomy (superficial or total) do not cause a subclinical dysfunction of the facial nerve after parotidectomy in the patients who also have clinically normal facial functions. The only exception to this contention is the subclinical dysfunction in nasal branches of the facial nerve in total parotidectomy cases.