Malignant parotid tumor and facial palsy

Abstract

To evaluate risk factors for postoperative facial palsy in patients with parotid carcinoma. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with parotid carcinoma who underwent parotidectomy at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1980 to 2000. Eighty-eight patients with a mean age of 53 +/- 17 y were recruited. Sixty patients (68.2%) experienced postoperative facial palsy. Tumor size of larger than 4 cm was associated with an increased incidence of facial palsy (P = 0.0422). Facial palsy was noted in 95.5 percent of patients with facial nerve involvement and 51.3 percent of patients without facial nerve involvement (P = 0.0004). Of 42 patients with tumor over the deep lobe, 37 (88.1%) had facial palsy but only 50 percent (23 of 46) of those with tumor over the superficial lobe had facial palsy (P = 0.0001). There were no significant associations between histopathology and facial palsy. Increasing tumor size, deep lobe tumor location, and tumor invasion of facial nerve increased the incidence of postparotidectomy facial palsy. By paying attention to these risk factors a reduction of postoperative facial nerve palsy my be achieved.