Journal Reviews
The push towards scarless parotid surgery
When dealing with benign parotid pathology, high expectations are placed on the operating surgeon to preserve key neurovascular structures, especially the animating facial nerve, through meticulous dissection. With time, there has been a greater emphasis on improving cosmesis in parotid...
Technique for benign tumours in the tail of the parotid gland
This is a retrospective study of 89 patients from China, 49 of whom were treated surgically by a partial superficial parotidectomy through retrograde approach, and 40 treated as an extracapsular dissection for benign tumours of the tail of the parotid...
Parapharyngeal space tumours – is the transoral approach effective?
Several approaches are described to the parapharyngeal space to permit resection of tumours in this region, with the most commonly employed approach being the transcervical route. The transoral approach remains somewhat controversial as it is felt that this approach can...
Extracapsular dissection alone for low-grade malignancies of the parotid gland – oncologically sound?
The general treatment strategy advocated for a primary carcinoma of the parotid gland is surgical resection +/- adjuvant radiotherapy. A selective neck dissection is usually recommended in all cases of parotid malignancies, except for small, low-grade tumours. In this paper,...
Is the greater auricular nerve important in parotid surgery?
The greater auricular nerve (GAN) is often partially or totally sacrificed during parotidectomy procedures. This was a retrospective study comparing auricular sensation and quality of life in patients that either had their GAN preserved or sacrificed. In the shortterm, patients...
Avoiding the sweaty cheek
Frey’s syndrome is a common (10-40%) and important complication following parotid surgery. Gustatory sweating during oral stimulation can be embarrassing as it is accompanied by flushing and a sensation of heat. This is as a direct result of regenerated parasympathetic...
Fluorescein use during parotidectomy
The authors of this study retrospectively reviewed the surgical charts of seven patients who underwent parotidectomy for tumour resection. In all these patients, Fluorescein sodium was used to enhance the contrast between parotid tumour tissue and the facial nerve. Using...
Sialendoscopy assisted excision of parotid stones
This is a retrospective paper from China that looks to assess the efficacy and safety of sialendoscopy with a combined transoral or transcutaneous approach for the removal of parotid stones. Sialolithiasis is known to be a cause for obstructive parotid...
Two for the price of one - multiple parotid neoplasms
With advancing years come many benefits, but one drawback is the acquisition of parotid (or thyroid) neoplasms. Conventional teaching is that most are benign and slowly enlarge, and not infrequently are found bilaterally as in Warthin’s. Pleomorphic adenomas are also...
