Surgical management and side effects of parotid gland surgery for benign lesions: a retrospective analysis of our experience from 2012 to 2021

Late Prevalence of Typical and Atypical Symptoms of Frey's Syndrome after Parotidectomy for Benign Tumor

BACKGROUND

The treatment of choice for tumors located in the parotid gland is surgery. Nevertheless, postoperative complications are not infrequent. Regardless of the type of surgical procedure, the most common complication is Frey's syndrome (FS). Traditionally, FS includes unilateral gustatory sweating and flushing of the facial skin lining the parotid compartment. Recent research describes atypical discomfort associated with FS. The aim of this study was to assess the late prevalence and severity of both usual and atypical symptoms after parotidectomy for benign tumors.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 86 subjects who underwent superficial parotidectomy at least one year before the study. The questionnaire included the sweating-flushing-itch-paresthesia-pain (SFIPP) Frey scale supplemented by specific questions about symptoms.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven out of eighty-six (77.9%) cases reported almost one symptom. The most frequent symptom was itch (36/67-53.7%), followed by pain (35/67-52.2%), while 28/67 (41.8%) subjects complained of atypical symptoms without flushing or sweating. A desire to treat the discomfort was reported by 50/67 (74.6%) subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

Late postparotidectomy local discomfort is not infrequent and includes both usual and "unusual" symptoms almost equally. Our results suggest the importance of informing patients about the occurrence of the syndrome and the available treatment options during pre- and postoperative counseling.