Postoperative facial nerve function in pediatric parotidectomy: a 12-year review

To analyze the incidence of postparotidectomy facial nerve dysfunction in pediatric patients and to evaluate the association between patient demographics or underlying pathology and functional outcomes.

Case series with chart review.

Tertiary-care pediatric hospital.

We reviewed charts of patients younger than 18 years who underwent parotidectomy performed by a pediatric otolaryngologist between 1999 and 2011 at a tertiary pediatric center. Distributions of postoperative facial nerve dysfunction and timing of recovery were noted. Chi-square and t-test analyses were conducted to determine the association between demographics or pathology and functional outcomes.

Forty-three patients met inclusion criteria: 41 underwent superficial parotidectomy, and 2 underwent total parotidectomy. Leading indications for surgery were atypical mycobacterial infection (16/43 [37.2%]) and first branchial cleft anomaly (8/43 [18.6]). The facial nerve was sacrificed in 1 (2%) patient with Ewing's sarcoma involving the nerve. The incidence of immediate facial nerve paresis was 21% (9/43), involving the marginal mandibular nerve (n = 7), buccal branch (n = 1), and both marginal mandibular and frontal branches (n = 1). Full recovery of nerve function in patients with paresis occurred within 1 month (n = 2), 2 months (n = 1), 6 months (n = 3), or 10 months (n = 2).

Postparotidectomy paresis of distal branches of the facial nerve is a common occurrence in the pediatric population and should be discussed during preoperative evaluation. The risk is comparable to that of the adult population. Age, gender, and pathologic diagnosis were not predictive of postoperative nerve dysfunction.