title: Nimodipine promotes regeneration of peripheral facial nerve function after traumatic injury following maxillofacial surgery: an off label pilot-study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Animal tests, retro- and prospective clinical trials in neurosurgical departments have shown a beneficial effect of nimodipine on the preservation and recovery of facial and acoustic nerve function following vestibular schwannoma surgery. Encouraged by these positive results a pilot-study of nimodipine treatment in patients with a peripheral facial nerve (FN) paresis following maxillofacial surgery was performed. The rate and time of FN recovery were analysed and compared with the results in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients (n = 13) suffering from a moderate (1/13) up to a severe (12/13) peripheral FN paresis after maxillofacial surgery were treated with orally administered nimodipine. The anatomical main course of the FN was preserved in all patients with a 2nd to 3rd degree of Sunderland-injury (Sunderland, 1951). After no evidence of a spontaneous regeneration had shown, oral medication with nimodipine was started as an "off-label" use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An improvement of the FN function correlated to the start of the vasoactive medication and as a consequence a recovery of the FN function up to House-Brackmann (HB) grade I°-II° was observed in all the patients within a period of 2 months after the beginning of treatment (p = 0.00027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical observations in these patients suggest a positive effect of nimodipine on the acceleration of peripheral FN regeneration after surgically caused trauma. The results of this pilot-study are very promising. A prospective study with a larger number of patients is planned to approve the beneficial effect of nimodipine on the peripheral FN in maxillofacial or otorhinolaryngological surgery.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Facial Plastic Surgery, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse 40, 06120 Halle (S.), Germany. konstanze.weinzierl@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Scheller
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Scheller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000293:injuries; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000187:drug effects*; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000293:injuries; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000188:drug therapy; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056687:Off-Label Use; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D059229:Osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus / Q000009:adverse effects; D010305:Parotid Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011378:Prognathism / Q000601:surgery; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009553:Nimodipine