Chorda tympani nerve function after middle ear surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To assess chorda tympani nerve function before and after different types of middle ear surgery. The hypothesis was that in cases with cholesteatoma, iatrogenic injury to the nerve results in less postoperative taste disturbance than those undergoing myringoplasty or stapedectomy.


METHODS
Prospective questionnaire study.


METHODS
ENT Department of a district general hospital in England.


METHODS
Adult patients undergoing middle ear surgery in which there would be elevation of the anulus.


METHODS
Patients' change in taste sensation after surgery with follow-up to demonstrate subsequent recovery.


RESULTS
A significantly higher incidence of taste disturbance follows myringoplasty and stapedectomy than for procedures in which the initial diagnosis was cholesteatoma, regardless of the extent of injury sustained by the nerve. The most common complaint after chorda tympani nerve injury is of a metallic taste sensation.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the small patient cohort, the results support the hypothesis that iatrogenic chorda tympani nerve injury in surgery for cholesteatoma results in less postoperative taste disturbance than that for otosclerosis. This may be because the disease process of cholesteatoma renders the nerve hypofunctional. The situation after myringoplasty is less clear. A larger study may help validate these findings.
Clark
Matthew P A
MP
Department of ENT, Northampton General Hospital, Northampton, England, UK. mattanna99@hotmail.com
O'Malley
Steve
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000601:surgery*; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009225:Myringoplasty; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013201:Stapes Surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology