FREYS-SYNDROME AFTER PAROTIDECTOMY - A RETROSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Grustatory sweating is a well-known sequela after parotid surgery. In a retrospective and prospective study of patients undergoing parotid s urgery, the onset, time course, extent, and treatment modalities of Fr ey's syndrome were analyzed. Twenty-two percent of the patients evalua ted by questionnaires and 43% of the patients followed prospectively w ithin 1 year were found to be symptomatic. Although the Minor starch-i odine test was positive in 38% of patients at 3 months, none of these patients experienced symptoms. Up to 12 months after surgery the rate of patients who tested positive increased to 96% and the total area of sweating expanded to a mean value of 18 cm(2). Whereas most of the pa tients are not markedly disturbed, few patients (5% to 10%) suffer fro m severe gustatory sweating. These patients present a therapeutic chal lenge.