Frey's syndrome following parotidectomy: prevention using a rotation sternocleidomastoid muscle flap.
The benefit of using a sternocleidomastoid flap following parotidectomy to reduce the incidence of symptomatic gustatory sweating (Frey's syndrome) was reviewed. A retrospective study was undertaken to review subjective and objective symptoms of Frey's syndrome in two groups of patients, one of whom had undergone superficial parotidectomy with a sternocleidomastoid flap rotated at the time of surgery and a second group of patients who had undergone a standard superficial parotidectomy. A total of 22 patients, randomly sampled and willing to attend, were evaluated postoperatively, at a median time from surgery of 42 months (range 23-82 months) in the non-flap group and 44 months (range 14-66 months) in the flap group, by Minor's starch iodine test. In the 11 patients who had a sternocleidomastoid flap rotated, two had evidence of gustatory sweating. Of the 11 that had not undergone sternocleidomastoid flap rotation, nine patients showed evidence of gustatory sweating (P < 0.05, chi 2 test). There were two patients in total who had clinical symptoms of Frey's syndrome and both of these had not undergone flap rotation at the time of parotidectomy.
Sood
S
S
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Queens Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Quraishi
M S
MS
Jennings
C R
CR
Bradley
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013547:Sweating, Gustatory / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control