Cranial nerve injuries with supraglottic airway devices: a systematic review of published case reports and series

Cranial nerve injuries are unusual complications of supraglottic airway use. Branches of the trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, vagus and the hypoglossal nerve may all be injured. We performed a systematic review of published case reports and case series of cranial nerve injury from the use of supraglottic airway devices. Lingual nerve injury was the most commonly reported (22 patients), followed by recurrent laryngeal (17 patients), hypoglossal (11 patients), glossopharyngeal (three patients), inferior alveolar (two patients) and infra-orbital (one patient). Injury is generally thought to result from pressure neuropraxia. Contributing factors may include: an inappropriate size or misplacement of the device; patient position; overinflation of the device cuff; and poor technique. Injuries other than to the recurrent laryngeal nerve are usually mild and self-limiting. Understanding the diverse presentation of cranial nerve injuries helps to distinguish them from other complications and assists in their management.