Use of allogenic acellular dermal matrix in prevention of Frey's syndrome after parotidectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of an allogenic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) as an interpositional graft to prevent Frey's syndrome after parotidectomy.


METHODS
We studied a total of 168 patients with benign parotid gland tumours, including 89 patients with pleomorphic adenoma; 45 with Warthin tumour; 17 with basal cell adenoma; and 17 with miscellaneous tumours. The patients were divided into two groups: the first (control n=104) had superficial or partial parotidectomy alone, and the second (experimental n=64), had superficial or partial parotidectomy with simultaneous placement of an ADM graft. All patients were evaluated for gustatory sweating by clinical examination. For objective assessment, 60 patients (30 from each group) were randomly selected for a starch-iodine test.


RESULTS
Subjectively Frey's syndrome was recorded in 63 patients (61%) from the controls and one patient (2%) from the ADM group. Objectively Frey's syndrome was found in 24 patients from the control group (23%) and 2 patients from the ADM group (2%). Salivary fistulas developed in 18 patients from the control group (17%), but in only 1 patient from the ADM group (2%). Both differences were P<0.05, but there was no significant difference between superficial parotidectomy and partial superficial parotidectomy (P=0.714).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) as an interpositional graft is an effective way of preventing Frey's syndrome after parotidectomy.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Shanghai 200011, China.
Wei Min
WM
Ye
Han Guang
HG
Zhu
Jia Wei
JW
Zheng
Xu Dong
XD
Wang
Wen
W
Zhao
Lai Ping
LP
Zhong
Zhi Yuan
ZY
Zhang
D000235:Adenolymphoma / Q000601:surgery; D000236:Adenoma / Q000601:surgery; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003094:Collagen; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D012467:Salivary Gland Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013547:Sweating, Gustatory / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
C440568:Alloderm; D003094:Collagen