Lingual nerve injury is a rare complication of general anesthesia. The causes of lingual nerve injury following general anesthesia are multifactorial; possible mechanisms may include difficult laryngoscopy, prolonged anterior mandibular displacement, improper placement of the oropharyngeal airway, macroglossia and tongue compression. In this report, we have described a case of bilateral lingual nerve injury that was associated with orotracheal intubation for open reduction and internal fixation of the left distal radius fracture in a 61-year-old woman. In this case, early treatment with dexamethasone effectively aided the recovery of the injured lingual nerve.
Anesthesia, General ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopy ; Lingual Nerve Injuries ; Lingual Nerve ; Macroglossia ; Middle Aged ; Radius Fractures ; Tongue

PURPOSE OF STUDY: Lingual nerve damage can be caused by surgery or trauma such as physical irriatation, radiation, chemotherapy, infection and viral infection. Once nerve damage occurred, patients sometimes complain taste change and loss of taste along with serious disturbance of tongue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of unilateral lingual nerve transection on taste as well as on the maintenance of taste buds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220-250g received unilateral transection of lingual nerve, subjected to the preference test for various taste solutions (0.1M NaCl, 0.1M sucrose, 0.01M QHCl, or 0.01M HCl) with two bottle test paradigm at 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks after the operation. Tongue was fixed with 8% paraformaldehyde. After fixation, they were observed with scanning electron microscope(JSM-840A(R), JEOL, JAPAN) and counted the number of the dorsal surface of the fungiform papilla for changes of fungiform papilla. And, Fungiform papilla were obtained from coronal sections of the anterior tongue(cryosection). After cryosection, immunostaining with Galpha gust(I-20)(Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA), PLCbeta2(Q-15)(Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA), and T1R1(Alpha Diagnostic International, USA) were done. Immunofluorescence of labeled taste bud cells was examined by confocal microscopy(F92-300., Olympus, JAPAN). RESULTS: The preference score for salty and sweet tended to be higher in the operated rats with statistical significance, compared to the sham rats. Fungiform papilla counting were decreased after lingual nerve transaction. In 2 weeks, maximum differences occurred. Gustducin and T1R1 expressions of taste receptor in 2 and 4 weeks were decreased. PLCbeta2 were not expressed in both experimental and control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the taste recognition for sweet and salty taste changed by week 2 and 4 after unilateral lingual nerve transection. However, regeneration related taste was occurred in the presence of preserving mesoneurial tissue and the time was 6 weeks. Our results demonstrated that unilateral lingual nerve damage caused morphological and numerical change of fungiform papilla. It should be noted in our study that lingual nerve transection resulted in not only morphological and numerical change but also functional change of fungiform papillae.
Animals ; Biotechnology ; Drug Therapy ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Lingual Nerve Injuries* ; Lingual Nerve* ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Sucrose ; Taste Buds* ; Tongue

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The excision of submandibular gland (SMG) has been commonly used for the treatment of calculi in the hilum of SMG, since intraoral removal of the hilar stone has the potential risk of lingual nerve injury and the poor surgical field. However, it would leave loss of remained gland function and external scars after the excision. Therefore, the authors modified the intraoral retrieval techniques as the marsupialization of the Wharton's duct up to the calculi in the hilum. This study reports our clinical experience with the modified intraoral retrieval technique and the advantages of this modality for calculi in the hilum of SMG. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: SMG excision and intraoral removal with marsupialization (IRM) were used from 1994 through 2003 to treat 9 and 16 cases of calculi in the hilum of SMG, respectively. We analyzed the characteristic findings of calculi, surgical morbidities and complications by comparing two different treatment groups. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the calculi was 6.1 mm in patients with SMG excision and 7.8 mm in patients with IRM. The success rate of extraction by IRM of calculi in the hilum were 86.7%. The surgical complications were similar in both groups. The proportion of palpable calculi were significantly increased in the IRM group (92.9% vs 22.2%). We failed to remove the stone by IRM from patients, and stones were impalpable intraorally preoperatively. CONCLUSION: IRM is an excellent alternative method for the removal of palpable calculi located in the hilum of SMG. Furthermore, it would preserve the salivary gland function without external scars and with acceptable surgical complications and morbidities.
Calculi* ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Lingual Nerve Injuries ; Oral Surgical Procedures ; Salivary Ducts ; Salivary Glands ; Submandibular Gland*

Trigeminal nerve injury as a consequence of lower third molar surgery is a notorious complication and may affect the patient in long term. Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and lingual nerve (LN) injury result in different degree of neurosensory deficit and also other neurological symptoms. The long term effects may include persistent sensory loss, chronic pain and depression. It is crucial to understand the pathophysiology of the nerve injury from lower third molar surgery. Surgery remains the most promising treatment in moderate-to-severe nerve injuries. There are limitations in the current treatment methods and full recovery is not commonly achievable. It is better to prevent nerve injury than to treat with unpredictable results. Coronectomy has been proved to be effective in reducing IAN injury and carries minimal long-term morbidity. New technologies, like the roles of erythropoietin and stem cell therapy, are being investigated for neuroprotection and neural regeneration. Breakthroughs in basic and translational research are required to improve the clinical outcomes of the current treatment modalities of third molar surgery-related nerve injury.
Chronic Pain ; Depression ; Erythropoietin ; Humans ; Lingual Nerve ; Mandibular Nerve ; Molar, Third ; Neuroprotection ; Postoperative Complications ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; Translational Medical Research ; Trigeminal Nerve Injuries ; Trigeminal Nerve

The extraction of an impacted third molar tooth is associated with many complications during the procedure and postoperative care. These complications include bleeding, swelling, pain, infection, as well as root fracture, proximal tooth injury, alveolar bone fracture, lingual nerve and inferior alveolar nerve injury etc. With the exception of a fractured root dislocation in the submandibular space, no direct submandibular gland injury related to extraction surgery has been reported until now. A 40 year old man visited the department of oromaxillofacial surgery at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital for an extraction of the right mandible third molar. A partial third molar impaction was diagnosed by a clinical and radiographic examination. A surgical tooth extraction was practiced including buccal cortical bone osteotomy. During socket curettage, an encapsulated cyst-like lesion and a verified 3x3 cm neoplasm in the apically lingual direction were found during process of dissection. A biopsy confirmed that the neoplasm involved the submandibular gland and nerve trunk. This unusual anatomical organ injury during the surgical tooth extraction procedure is reported as a new complication during impacted third molar extraction.
Biopsy ; Curettage ; Dislocations ; Fractures, Bone ; Hemorrhage ; Intraoperative Complications ; Lingual Nerve ; Mandible ; Mandibular Nerve ; Molar, Third ; Osteotomy ; Postoperative Care ; Submandibular Gland ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Tooth Injuries