ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to provide possible causes and post-treatment prognosis of delayed facial nerve palsy (DFP) following middle ear and mastoid surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The medical records of 3787 cases of middle ear and mastoid surgery from June, 1980 to August, 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. Nine cases developed ipsilateral facial nerve palsy after 72 hours of surgery. Their age ranged from 20 to 67 years (the mean of 40 years old and the male: female ratio of 1:1.25). For the review of the chart, we checked preoperative middle ear and mastoid state, intraoperative findings, clinical features of development and recovery of facial nerve palsy. To evaluate the degree and the possibility of recovery of facial nerve palsy, the House-Blackman grading system was used and electrophysiologic studies (Maximal stimulation test, Nerve excitability test and Nerve conduction velocity test) were performed. The steroid and vasodilator drugs were prescribed for the treatment. RESULTS: All of the nine patients had preoperative diagnosis of chronic otitis media and five of them also had cholesteatoma. Radical mastoidectomy was done in two cases, open cavity techniques in two cases and closed cavity techniques in five cases. There were postoperative wound infections in five cases. Facial palsy was developed between 5th and 16th postoperative day (mean 9th day) and the initial House-Blackman grade was II or III. The time for complete recovery ranged from 1 month to 6 months, with the fastest recovery time being 9 days after DFP. CONCLUSION: DFP following middle ear and mastoid surgery is an unpredictable complication. Postoperative wound infection may have been related to it and should be regarded as a risk factor of DFP.