Great auricular nerve preservation during parotidectomy for benign tumors

The great auricular nerve, the largest sensory branch of the cervical plexus, arises from the third cervical nerve (C3) with irregular contribution from the C2. The first part of its course is deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In few years, many experiences by different authors concerning the issue of great auricular nerve integrity during parotidectomy were published in the literature. The aims of our article were to report our experience with 78 consecutive patients who underwent standard superficial, subtotal, or total parotidectomy for benign tumors and to illustrate postsurgical findings regarding the sensibility of the pinna and mandibular angle as subjectively reported in the early postsurgical period and after 3, 6, and 12 months from surgery.