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. 2007 Jun;136(6):978-81.
doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2006.12.022.

Chorda tympani injury: operative findings and postoperative symptoms

Philip Michael  1 , Vivek Raut
Affiliations

Chorda tympani injury: operative findings and postoperative symptoms

Philip Michael et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to assess whether operative findings of chorda tympani nerve (CTN) trauma correlate with postoperative symptoms.

Study design and setting: A prospective study was conducted over 2 years on 140 middle ear operations analyzing taste disturbances. The operations were subdivided into myringoplasty/tympanoplasty (56 cases), mastoidectomy (64 cases), and tympanotomy (20 cases).

Results: Twenty-one (15%) patients reported taste disturbance. Altered taste was most reported (n=15, 71%) with loss of taste reported by 29% (n=6). Symptoms were most observed in the tympanotomy group (45%). Stretching of the CTN was associated with more symptoms than nerve transection. Recovery was complete in 76% (n=16) of the symptomatic cases by 12 months.

Conclusion: Patients who undergo middle ear surgery should be thoroughly counseled with respect to CTN injury and symptoms regardless of the type of damage to the nerve.

Significance: This study highlights the high incidence of postoperative alterations in taste after middle ear surgery, especially in non-diseased ears, and that CTN transection results in fewer symptoms than CTN stretching.

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