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The influence of anesthesia of the ear on the sensory innervation of the soft palate
Author(s) -
Williams Huw O. L.,
Whittet Heikki B.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.980050109
Subject(s) - medicine , glossopharyngeal nerve , soft palate , anesthetic , facial nerve , anatomy , middle ear , promontory , sensory system , sensory nerve , tympanic cavity , anesthesia , surgery , neuroscience , history , archaeology , stimulation , vagus nerve , biology
Abstract Following the application of a topical anesthetic agent to the tympanic membrane, a number of patients described a sensation of numbness in the mouth. On examination these patients were found to have a significant area of anesthesia on the inferior surface of the ipsilateral soft palate. As a result of auditory tube dysfunction many of the tympanic membranes were atrophic and retracted. In these cases the pars tensa was closely related to the medial wall of the tympanic cavity, and local anesthetic agents applied to the tympanic membrane could easily diffuse through to the promontory and related structures. If the bone over the tympanic plexus or that over the facial nerve were dehiscent these nerves would be exposed to the effect of the anesthetic. We feel that our observation suggests that in some individuals at least, the pathway of sensory innervation of the soft palate may involve either the facial nerve or the tympanic branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve.