Management of cranial nerve injury following surgery of the skull base.
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OBJECT: Cranial nerve injuries, particularly motor nerve injuries, following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can be disabling and therefore patients should be given reliable information about the risks of sustaining such injuries. The reported frequency of cranial nerve injury in the published literature ranges from 3 to 23%, and there have been few series in which patients were routinely examined before and after surgery by a neurologist. METHODS: The authors investigated the risk of cranial nerve injuries in patients who underwent CEA in the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST), the largest series of patients undergoing CEA in which neurological assessment was performed before and after surgery. Cranial nerve injury was assessed and recorded in every patient and persisting deficits were identified on follow-up examination at 4 months and 1 year after randomization. Risk factors for cranial nerve injury were examined by performing univariate and multivariate analyses. There were 88 motor cranial nerve injuries among the 1739 patients undergoing CEA (5.1% of patients; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.1-6.2). In 23 patients, the deficit had resolved by hospital discharge, leaving 3.7% of patients (95% CI 2.9-4.7) with a residual cranial nerve injury: 27 hypoglossal, 17 marginal mandibular, 17 recurrent laryngeal, one accessory nerve, and three Homer syndrome. In only nine patients (0.5%; 95% CI 0.24-0.98) the deficit was still present at the 4-month follow-up examination; however, none of the persisting deficits resolved during the subsequent follow up. Only duration of operation longer than 2 hours was independently associated with an increased risk of cranial nerve injury (hazard ratio 1.56, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of motor cranial nerve injury persisting beyond hospital discharge after CEA is approximately 4%. The vast majority of neurological deficits resolve over the next few months, however, and permanent deficits are rare. Nevertheless, the risk of cranial nerve injury should be communicated to patients before they undergo surgery.
Eleven children with injuries to the cranial nerves were examined. It has been revealed that as a result of surgical interventions, the facial nerve gets affected more frequently. The results of the treatment often appear unsatisfactory because of the late referral of the victims to hospitals for operative treatment.
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Cranial nerve injuries may result from carotid endarterectomy. From January 1984 to December 1987, a total of 336 carotid endarterectomies were performed at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Cleveland Veterans Administration Hospital. Forty-five cranial nerve injuries were documented (13.5%). Twenty patients (6%) had documented unilateral vocal cord paralysis, 16 (4.8%) had hypoglossal injuries, 8 (2.4%) had facial nerve paresis, and 1 (0.3%) had an injury to the spinal accessory nerve. Although most injuries were due to either retraction or edema of cranial nerves, long-term follow-up regarding recovery of function is very important. We feel that proper clinical evaluation of these patients should be routinely done preoperatively in order to document possible preexisting cranial nerve deficits. Postoperatively, if symptoms of possible cranial nerve abnormalities occur, these patients should have a thorough head and neck evaluation in order to identify possible lesions and institute further treatment to improve their quality of life.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the incidence and distribution of cranial nerve injuries after carotid eversion endarterectomy (EEA) performed under regional anaesthesia using a transverse skin incision. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 165 patients and 180 carotid arteries. All patients had a standard pre-operative assessment performed by a neurologist and ENT specialist. All carotid endarterectomies were performed by the eversion technique under regional anaesthesia. RESULTS: Ten cranial nerve injuries were observed. Seven patients had injuries of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve, two patients had lesions of the hypoglossal nerve, and one patient had an injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Eleven patients developed hoarseness without cranial nerve injury. Injuries of the marginal mandibular branch recovered after 3-8 months (mean 5.2 months). Both hypoglossal nerve injuries recovered after 4 months. The patient with the recurrent laryngeal palsy had no improvement after 19 months. Patients with hoarseness secondary to laryngeal haematoma recovered within 1 month. CONCLUSION: The incidence of cranial nerves injury after carotid EEA under regional anaesthesia is comparable to that reported for conventional carotid surgery. Postoperative hoarseness is most frequently due to laryngeal haematoma.
In a series of 109 carotid arterial reconstructions cranial nerve injury was observed in 14 of 102 patients. Ipsilateral peripheral hypoglossal nerve injury occurred in nine patients with carotid occlusive disease. The marginal mandibular nerve was injured in three patients and recurrent laryngeal nerve dysfunction was noted in four patients. Two cranial nerves were injured in two patients. Full recovery of hypoglossal dysfunction was seen within 2-52 weeks (average 20 weeks). The nerves are injured by retraction to clear the operative field or by postoperative haematoma. Risk factors include crossing of the hypoglossal nerve close to the carotid bifurcation or procedures requiring long arteriotomy or skeletonization of the internal carotid artery. Unilateral cranial nerve injury is usually mild but will require delay of controlateral carotid reconstruction to avoid severe bilateral cranial nerve palsy.
BACKGROUND: Spinal traction is the application of a longitudinal force to the spinal column as a means of stabilizing a damaged or abnormal spine. Although not well documented in the ophthalmic literature, complications include cranial nerve palsies, with the sixth nerve being most commonly affected. Fourth nerve palsies have not previously been reported to our knowledge. We present 2 cases of combined fourth and sixth palsies after cervical traction. METHODS: Retrospectively, we reviewed the ophthalmic findings in 2 children with diplopia after spinal traction. RESULTS: Case 1 suffered a traumatic rotatory atlantoaxial subluxation and underwent halo traction. Case 2 required traction to correct a scoliosis secondary to osteogenesis imperfecta. In both cases, sixth nerve palsies were apparent soon after traction. Careful orthoptic examination revealed additional fourth nerve involvement. After 3 months, both cases showed partial resolution of the cranial nerve injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Cranial nerve injury may occur with spinal traction. Fourth nerve palsy may be underreported because of masking by a coinciding sixth nerve palsy.
We present a seven-year experience with cranial nerve injuries due to carotid artery endarterectomy. A total of 433 carotid endarterectomies were done on 355 patients by senior surgical residents, with a staff surgeon assisting. Thirteen cranial nerve injuries were identified, five of which were permanent. Knowledge of the anatomic features of the cranial nerves and their branches in the operative field, as well as technical maneuvers during surgery, can reduce such injuries to a minimum.
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OBJECTIVE: To establish the incidence of cranial nerve injuries caused by carotid artery surgery. METHODS: During the years 1982 to 1992, 689 carotid artery operations were performed at Malmö General Hospital. Of these 656 were pre- and postoperatively examined at the Department of Phoniatrics concerning the function of the cranial nerves IX, X, and XII. RESULTS: There was injury to one or more of the examined nerves after 75 operations (11.4%). In 70 (10.7%) operations the hypoglossal nerve was injured, in eight (1.2%) the recurrent laryngeal nerve, in two (0.3%) the glossopharyngeal nerve and in two (0.3%) the superior laryngeal nerve. Seven patients complained of postoperative hoarseness, but had no injuries. One hypoglossal and one recurrent nerve injury was permanent. Nerve injury was more frequent in operations performed with a shunt (p = 0.05), with patch closure (p = 0.01) and by a junior surgeon (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: In a prospective series, the incidence of cranial nerve injuries after carotid surgery was significant but the vast majority were reversible.
Operation on the carotid arteries (CA) prevent strokes in patients with occlusions and stenoses of these arteries. We have worked out the measures for preventing perioperative strokes. During interventions on the CA, iatrogenic injuries to the cranial nerves (CN) are paid little attention. 1186 patients underwent 1362 operations. There were 26 lethal outcomes and 38 strokes. 146 (0.7%) cases of CN injuries were documented. Of these, there were 2 (0.1%) injuries to the accessory nerve, 14 (1%) to the glossopharyngeal nerve, 28 (2%) to the hypoglossal nerve, 46 (3.4%) injuries to vagal nerve branches, and 56 (4.2%) to facial nerve branches. In 42 patients, neuropathies acquired the 'permanent' character. We describe the symptomatology of injuries to different CN pairs consequent on carotid operations and the algorithm of their diagnosis. CN injuries deteriorate the results of operations and decrease quality of life of the patients. Early diagnosis and correction of the sequelae of iatrogenic injuries to the CN is a reserve for the refinement of the results of operations on the CA.
Six of the 70 patients treated with skeletal traction at the Alfred I. duPont Institute exhibited cranial nerve complications. The sixth cranial nerve was most commonly affected by distraction and resulted in weakness in lateral gaze. A combined lesion of the ninth, tenth and twelfth nerves was not an infrequent complication and presented as abnormalities in swallowing, quality of speech, and of tongue movement. It has not been singled out for its significance in the literature but it is potentially the most lethal of the complications. From our review it appears that patients who have had radiation treatment and who have presented with myelomeningocele experience a higher risk of complication in cranial skeletal traction. A definite clinical-pathological correlation could not be made. Frequent monitoring of the patients in skeletal traction is necessary, and prompt recognition of the clinical signs of these complications must be stressed. The complications in the patients of our series subsided upon release of the distraction force.
Our experience with patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy over a 10 year period has been retrospectively reviewed. Nerve injuries were detected by reviewing postoperative progress and clinic notes. One hundred twenty-nine procedures were performed on 112 patients, 12 of whom (9.3 percent) sustained major nerve injuries. These included five vagal nerve injuries causing ipsilateral vocal cord paralysis and hoarseness, four injuries of the marginal mandibular nerve, and three injuries of the hypoglossal nerve. Evidence of nerve dysfunction was not present preoperatively. None of the patients with nerve injury sustained a stroke as a result of carotid operation. Vocal cord paralysis was documented by indirect laryngoscopy. The incidence of cranial nerve injury during carotid endarterectomy appears to be higher than expected, particularly if asymptomatic patients are investigated; however, most injuries are transient and result not from transection but from trauma during dissection, retraction, and clamping of the vessels. The pertinent anatomy and techniques for preventing these injuries have been reviewed.
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To determine the incidence and nature of cranial nerve damage in connection with carotid artery surgery, 139 patients were studied before and after 162 operations. Nerve damage was detected in association with 19.8% of the operations. The hypoglossal nerve was most commonly affected. The injuries were of benign character and usually resolved within 4 to 6 weeks. Apart from damage to the great auricular nerve, all lesions resolved within 5 months. The incidence of nerve disturbance was greater than that found in a retrospective study from the same hospital. Gentleness of technique is important in carotid artery surgery, in order to avoid nerve damage.