Surgical treatment of osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate methods of treating diffuse osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone in cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, following radiotherapy.


METHODS
Retrospective.


METHODS
Fourteen post-irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (n = 14 ears) with diffuse osteoradionecrosis received surgical treatment from March 1994 to May 2005. The patients underwent radical mastoidectomy (five ears), extensive radical mastoidectomy (one ear), or radical mastoidectomy and obliteration with local vascularised fascia flaps (eight ears).


RESULTS
Six ears fully recovered; two ears were still infectious but sequestrum had not re-formed; five ears (50 per cent) still had repeated suppuration and did not epithelialise; and one ear had local re-formation of sequestrum requiring periodic dressing changes.


CONCLUSIONS
Diffuse osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is difficult to treat surgically. The main objective of surgery is to facilitate drainage and to prevent complications. Radical mastoidectomy and obliteration with local vascularised flaps is an effective method.
Xu
Y-D
YD
Department of Otolaryngology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China.
Ou
Y-K
YK
Zheng
Y-Q
YQ
Zhang
S-Y
SY
D000328:Adult; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002681:China; D004431:Ear, External / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010025:Osteoradionecrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed