Parotidectomy in children: indications and complications.
BACKGROUND
Parotidectomy in children is uncommon, and surgeons face specific challenges not encountered in adult practice.


METHODS
Retrospective review of parotidectomies performed in our paediatric hospital over a 10-year period (1999-2008).


RESULTS
Twenty-one children underwent 22 parotidectomies, of which six were total. The following pathology was encountered: atypical mycobacterial infection (8.38 per cent), pleomorphic adenoma (4.19 per cent), lymphatic malformation (2.10 per cent), haemangioma (2 per cent), first branchial cleft anomaly (2 per cent), follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (2 per cent) and lipoblastoma (1.5 per cent). No cases of permanent facial nerve palsy occurred. Mild transient facial nerve palsy occurred in five patients (23 per cent), gustatory sweating in four (19 per cent) and hypertrophic scarring in three (14 per cent).


CONCLUSIONS
We discuss the range of parotid pathology found in children, the approach to investigation, the surgical difficulties encountered, and ways to reduce the apparently higher rate of complications encountered. Parotid surgery in children should be concentrated in the hands of a small number of surgeons with a particular interest in this area.
Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
C Meiling
CM
Xie
H
H
Kubba
D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001934:Branchial Region / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D044148:Lymphatic Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome