Sensory changes associated with selective neck dissection

Objective: To evaluate sensory changes in the head and neck region associat ed with selective neck dissection with or without preservation of cervical root branches. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: University tertiary referral hospital and a Veterans Affairs hospi tal. Patients: Fifty-seven patients who had undergone 84 neck dissections with o r without preservation of the sensory cervical root branches 3 or more mont hs before evaluation. Interventions: Questionnaire combined with head and neck sensory examinatio n. Main Outcome Measures: Neck and facial sensory function. Results: Neck dissections with preservation of the cervical rootlets were m ost likely to be associated with a small area of anesthesia in the upper ne ck below the body of the mandible and anterior to the mid-body of the mandi ble (P=.03). Neck dissections without rootlet-preserving technique increase d the area of anesthesia to include all other areas of the neck (P=.02). Conclusions: Preservation of the cervical root branches resulted in a small , limited, and uniform area of the neck rendered permanently anesthetic. Co nversely, sacrifice of the nerve branches led to a pattern of anesthesia in volving-the entire neck.