Tympanic neurectomy and chorda tympanectomy for the control of drooling.
Seventeen patients suffered from drooling that either occurred as a sequelae of extensive head and neck cancer resections or was due to neurological disorders. In these patients, a tympanic neurectomy and/or chorda tympanectomy was performed in an attempt to eliminate the drooling. The conditions in five of 12 (41%) patients with head and neck cancer were improved following such surgery. Two of four children with cerebral palsy initially had a good result. However, the long-term follow-up of the patients demonstrated that the drooling recurred. An additional patient suffering from bulbar weakness and drooling owing to a cerevrobascular accident had less problems with salivary secretions. The results were relatively disappointing; there are several possible explanations for this.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D003679:Deglutition; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*