Goodlettsville Dental Services

Frey’s Syndrome

Frey’s syndrome (also known as Baillarger’s syndrome, Dupuy’s syndrome, Auriculotemporal syndrome or Frey-Baillarger syndrome) is a food related syndrome which can be congenital or acquired specially after parotid surgery and can persist for life.

The symptoms of Frey’s syndrome are redness and sweating on the cheek area adjacent to the ear. They can appear when the affected person eats, sees, thinks about or talks about certain kinds of food which produce strong salivation. Observing sweating in the region after eating a lemon wedge may be diagnostic.

Causes

Frey’s syndrome often results as a side effect of parotid gland surgery. The Auriculotemporal branch of the Trigeminal nerve carries sympathetic fibers to the sweat glands of the scalp and parasympathetic fibers to the parotid gland. As a result of severance and inappropriate regeneration, the fibers may switch courses, resulting in “Gustatory Sweating” or sweating in the anticipation of eating, instead of the normal salivatory response. It is often seen with patients who have undergone endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, a surgical procedure wherein part of the sympathetic trunk is cut or clamped to treat sweating of the hands or blushing. The subsequent regeneration or nerve sprouting leads to abnormal sweating and salivating. It can also include discharge from the nose when smelling certain food.

Treatments

Treatments include:

• injection of botulinum toxin type A
• surgical transection of the nerve fibers
• application of an ointment containing an anticholinergic drug such as scopolamine