Cranial nerve V2 and Vidian nerve trauma secondary to lateral pterygoid recess encephalocele repair

Background The incidence of adverse sequelae related to trauma of cranial nerve V2 (V2) and the Vidian nerve (VN) during endoscopic pterygoid recess repair (PRR) of lateral sphenoid encephalocele is insufficiently reported in the medical literature. As part of our quality assessment and improvement program we sought to analyze the incidence and severity of V2 and VN injury during a 9‐year experience (2010‐2018) with PRR. Methods Hypoesthesia, paresthesia, and dry eye and their impact on patient quality of life were sought through chart review and a self‐reported 0 to 5 Likert scale for each symptom. Results Thirty‐five patients underwent repair of spontaneous cerebrospinal‐fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea, with 11 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic PRR. Mean follow‐up for PRR was 32.5 months (range, 2.4 to 103.3 months). Although definitive management resulted in 100% success, 1 required secondary treatment. Eight patients were available for long‐term follow‐up (72.7%) and completed a symptom severity questionnaire using a Likert‐scale. All patients observed either hypoesthesia, paresthesia, or dry eye of varying gradation (scale, 0 to 5). None described disabling symptoms, and some reported gradual improvement. Numbness, paresthesia, and dry eye were reported by 6 of 8 (75%), 5 of 8 (62.5%), and 4 of 8 (50%) patients, respectively. The mean Likert score among the 8 patients who completed this questionnaire noticing hypoesthesia, paresthesia, and dry eye was 2.6, 1.3, and 1.8, respectively. Conclusion Meticulous surgical technique is paramount for successful PRR and minimizing nerve injury, yet the anatomic variation of the lateral pterygoid recess can be challenging, and neural injury is a real risk. Preoperatively, patients should be counseled that although V2 or VN injury is common, most patients describe resulting symptoms to be rarely bothersome.