MALIGNANT PAROTID TUMORS

Parotid tumors frequently come to the Nigerian Christian Hospital. Parotidectomy is a technically difficult operation requiring dissection and preservation of the facial nerve. In the picture below I the facial nerve trunk can be seen at the clamp at 6 O'clock and major branches are visible at 5 and 8 O'clock. This patient had a superficial parotidectomy and the nerve was preserved.

Unfortunately, some of these tumors are malignant and require excision of the nerve with the tumor. This was the case with the following patient. Removal of the tumor not only required removal of the 7th nerve but also left a large defect.

We closed this defect with a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap:

The patient had a good recovery and will be ready for adjuvant radiation therapy much faster as a result of the flap coverage