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Facial canal dehiscence in patients with cholesteatoma: concordance between intraoperative inspection, computed tomography and neurophysiological findings

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To assess the diagnostic capacity of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring with respect to “gold standard” microscopic findings of facial canal dehiscence in middle ear cholesteatoma surgery.

Study design, patients and setting

We carried out a retrospective cohort study of 57 surgical interventions for cholesteatoma between 2008 and 2013 at Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Spain.

Diagnostic interventions

Each patient underwent preoperative computed tomography (CT), intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring and intraoperative inspection of the facial nerve during microsurgery. Diagnostic concordance on the presence/absence of facial canal dehiscence was assessed in 54 surgical interventions.

Main outcome

Presence of facial canal dehiscence.

Results

Of 57 interventions, 39 were primary surgeries; 11 (28.2%) showed facial canal dehiscence. and 18 were revision surgeries; 6 (33.3%) showed facial canal dehiscence. The facial nerve was not damaged in any patient. Facial canal dehiscence was observed in 17 (29.82%) interventions. We used intraoperative microscopic findings as the gold standard. Neurophysiological study showed a sensitivity of 94.1, specificity 97.3, positive predictive value (PPV) 57.8 and negative predictive value of 97.2. CT showed a sensitivity of 64.7, specificity 78.4, PPV 57.8 and negative predictive value of 82.

Conclusions

Our neurophysiological study showed greater sensitivity and higher PPV than CT for the detection of facial canal dehiscence. We found no relationship between disease progression time and the presence of facial canal dehiscence.

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Funding

This study was performed without funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ENT Service, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Ctra. Ofra S/N La Cuesta, 38320, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Francisco Arias-Marzán, Gemma de Lucas-Carmona, Esteban Reinaldo Pacheco Coronel & Blas Pérez-Piñero

  2. Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Ctra. Ofra S/N La Cuesta, 38320, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Pedro Javier Perez Lorensu

  3. Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Ctra. Ofra S/N La Cuesta, 38320, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Alejandro Jiménez-Sosa

Authors
  1. Francisco Arias-Marzán
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  2. Gemma de Lucas-Carmona
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  3. Esteban Reinaldo Pacheco Coronel
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  4. Pedro Javier Perez Lorensu
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  5. Alejandro Jiménez-Sosa
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  6. Blas Pérez-Piñero
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Esteban Reinaldo Pacheco Coronel.

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Conflict of interest

Francisco Arias-Marzán declares that he has no conflict of interest; Gemma de Lucas-Carmona declares that she has no conflict of interest; Esteban Reinaldo Pacheco-Coronel declares that he has no conflict of interest; Pedro Javier Pérez Lorensu declares that he has no conflict of interest; Alejandro Jiménez-Sosa declares that he has no conflict of interest; Blas Pérez-Piñero declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Arias-Marzán, F., de Lucas-Carmona, G., Pacheco Coronel, E.R. et al. Facial canal dehiscence in patients with cholesteatoma: concordance between intraoperative inspection, computed tomography and neurophysiological findings. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 276, 1915–1920 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-019-05416-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-019-05416-6

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