title: Comparison of regeneration of the chorda tympani nerve and gustatory function recovery after severing the nerve between pediatric and adult patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of regeneration of the chorda tympani nerve (CTN) and taste function recovery between pediatric and adult patients after severing the CTN.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive 31 pediatric patients and 61 adult patients who underwent staged tympanoplasty (86 patients) or reoperation (6 patients) because of chronic otitis media with (89 patients) or without cholesteatoma (3 patients) and whose CTN was severed during primary surgery were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The severed nerves were readapted or approximated on the temporalis muscle fascia used to reconstruct the eardrum. During secondary surgery, we tried to detect regenerated CTN. Preoperative and postoperative gustatory function was assessed using electrogustometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regenerated CTN was detected during secondary surgery in 58.1% (18/31) of pediatric patients and 31.1% (19/61) of adults (p < 0.05). However, the number of patients with preoperatively elevated electrogustometry threshold was greater in adult patients. When the subjects were limited to those with preoperatively normal taste function, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. Among patients with CTN regeneration, the incidence of taste function recovery was higher (12/18; 66.7%) in children than that (6/19; 31.6%) in adults (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference when the subjects were limited to those with preoperatively normal taste function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic inflammation may not severely affect the CTN in pediatric patients, resulting in higher incidences of CTN regeneration and gustatory function recovery after severing the nerve, compared with those in adult patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. takehisa@u-fukui.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Takechiyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002814:Chorda Tympani Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology*; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D014433:Tympanoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult