Surgical Outcomes in Idiopathic Recurrent Facial Nerve Paralysis: A Rare Clinical Entity.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the postoperative facial nerve dysfunction, audiometric outcomes, and long-term quality-of-life outcomes of patients with idiopathic recurrent facial nerve paralysis (RFP) after middle cranial fossa (MCF) microsurgical decompression.

METHODS:

Retrospective chart analysis of 11 (mean age 37.0 years, range 5 to 67) patients at an academic tertiary referral center who underwent MCF facial nerve decompression. Data analysis included evaluation of pre- and postoperative House-Brackmann (HB) score, pre- and postoperative pure-tone average (PTA), pre-and postoperative word recognition scores (WRS), and postoperative Facial Clinimetric Evaluation survey.

RESULTS:

Mean number of preoperative facial paralysis episodes was 3.5 (range 2 to 6), and preoperative HB score was 4.5 (range 1 to 6). Postoperatively, 0 patients had further episodes of facial nerve paralysis at an average of 6.5 years (range 0.1 to 17.6) (P = 0.005), and the average postoperative HB score was 2.1 (range 1 to 3) (P = 0.011). Postoperative audiometry was stably maintained as assessed with PTA and WRS scores.

CONCLUSION:

Microsurgical facial nerve decompression for idiopathic RFP may be a reliable therapeutic modality to prophylactically decrease the number of facial nerve paralysis episodes and may also help to improve facial nerve functional status.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

4 Laryngoscope, 130:200-205, 2020.

• Authors: Christopher Blake Sullivan, Daniel Q Sun, Vivian L Zhu, Marlan R Hansen, Bruce J Gantz
• Journal: The Laryngoscope (Laryngoscope) Vol. 130 Issue 1 Pg. 200-205 (01 2020) ISSN: 1531-4995 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30840311 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: © 2019 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Bell Palsy (surgery)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Cranial Fossa, Middle
• Decompression, Surgical (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Microsurgery
• Middle Aged
• Recurrence
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult