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Temporal artery biopsy associated with risk of postop facial nerve damage
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A study found that temporal artery biopsy resulted in a 16% incidence of postoperative facial nerve damage, which fully resolved in more than half of the affected patients.
Incisions made closer to the orbital rim and brow increased the risk of postop facial nerve dysfunction, while incisions made more than 35 mm from the brow and orbital rim or above the brow produced a lower likelihood of postop brow ptosis.
The prospective study analyzed 75 temporal artery biopsies performed for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis in 68 patients. Twelve patients (16%) had postop facial nerve damage, and seven of those patients (58.3%) experienced full resolution of damage within 6 months (average: 4.43 months). Two patients (2.7%) experienced postop infections.
No correlation was observed between facial nerve damage and use of blood thinners, biopsy result, surgeon, procedure difficulty, incision length or specimen length, but the distance from the incision to both the brow and orbital rim was found to be a significant factor.
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