Facial Nerve Function in Postoperative of Glomus Jugulare

Abstract

Objective: Describe the facial nerve function (FNF) in preoperative and postoperative time of patients with glomus jugulare tumors trying to correlate the relationship with functional outcome with epidemiological variables (age and sex) or variables related to the tumor (extent, location, and relationship to the facial nerve and internal carotid artery).

Method: Retrospective review of 53 patients with glomus jugulare submitted to surgical treatment (1987 to 2010) in Edmundo Vasconcelos Hospital. The FNF was analyzed preoperatively and at initial PO (until 7 days), PO of 6 months, and PO of 1 year. Results of FNF were compared with tumor aspects and epidemiological features.

Results: In a preoperative time we observed FNF decreased in 11 patients (20.75%) in which the average of facial function by House Brackmann scale degree was 2.54. Most of those (7%-63.64%) scaled as HB II. Intraoperative findings demonstrated anatomic invasion in 5 patients. In the immediate PO time (1 to 7 days) a decrease of facial nerve function in 83.02% of the patients (avgHB = 3.32) was noted. In PO of 6 and 12 months, some degree of FNF was observed in 32 (60.37%/avgHB 2.09) and 25 (47.17%/avgHB 1.86). There was no observed relation (P < .05) between kinds of facial nerve manipulation or epidemiological features with FNF with in 1 year postoperatively.

Conclusion: FNF is a common feature in PO of patients with jugulare foramen tumors, and its recovery is expected for the majority after initial PO time. For the group of patients with preoperative compromise of VII nerve, poorer outcomes were were observed.