J Dent Anesth Pain Med.  2018 Apr;18(2):115-117. 10.17245/jdapm.2018.18.2.115.

Dexamethasone treatment for bilateral lingual nerve injury following orotracheal intubation

• Kim S
• Chung SY
• Youn SJ
• Jeon Y

• KMID: 2410145
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17245/jdapm.2018.18.2.115

Abstract

Lingual nerve injury is a rare complication of general anesthesia. The causes of lingual nerve injury following general anesthesia are multifactorial; possible mechanisms may include difficult laryngoscopy, prolonged anterior mandibular displacement, improper placement of the oropharyngeal airway, macroglossia and tongue compression. In this report, we have described a case of bilateral lingual nerve injury that was associated with orotracheal intubation for open reduction and internal fixation of the left distal radius fracture in a 61-year-old woman. In this case, early treatment with dexamethasone effectively aided the recovery of the injured lingual nerve.

Keyword

Dexamethasone; General anesthesia; Lingual nerve injuries; Orotracheal intubation; Steroid

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, General
Dexamethasone*
Female
Humans
Intubation*
Laryngoscopy
Lingual Nerve Injuries*
Lingual Nerve*
Macroglossia
Middle Aged
Radius Fractures
Tongue
Dexamethasone

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The patient complained of paresthesia and loss of taste in the anterior two thirds of the tongue. But she had no difficulty in moving her tongue.

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