The presence of facial nerve weakness on diagnosis of a parotid gland malignant process

The objectives of this article are to assess the frequency and significance of facial paralysis and undiagnosed nerve infiltration in patients with parotid malignancies. 103 patients with parotid gland malignancies were treated in a single institution, the tertiary center for ENT at the University Department in Poznan between 1996 and 2006. Facial palsy at the initial presentation was found in 32 patients. The stage of the primary tumor in the examined group of 103 patients is as follows: 20—T1, 31—T2, 20—T3, 32—T4. The correlation between facial nerve function before treatment and patients’ characteristics, including the treatment methods, were analyzed. Intact facial nerve function at patient presentation was a very strong prognostic factor determining the treatment and final outcome for malignant neoplasms of parotid gland. Similarly, T stage and a high-grade malignant histology had a direct influence on the duration of patients’ survival.