• OBJECTIVE
    • To evaluate risk factors for postoperative facial palsy in patients with parotid carcinoma.
  • STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING
    • We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with parotid carcinoma who underwent parotidectomy at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1980 to 2000.
  • RESULTS
    • 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).
  • CONCLUSION
    • 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.
  • SIGNIFICANCE
    • By paying attention to these risk factors a reduction of postoperative facial nerve palsy my be achieved.