Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32787918›Full record

ArticleJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale2020

Type a botulinum toxin in the management of spontaneous salivary otorrhea: a case report.

Teffran J Chan, Trevor A Lewis, Doron D Sommer

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 53% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Spontaneous Salivary Fistula Masquerading as CSF Otorrhea.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Teffran J ChanMichael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. teffran.chan@alumni.ubc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9300-4902
Trevor A LewisDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Doron D SommerDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
McMaster University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSpontaneous salivary otorrhea is a rare presentation only previously documented twice in literature where parotid salivary secretions are found in the external auditory canal. Conventional treatment of spontaneous parotid salivary fistulas includes surgical management with interposed grafts, fistula tract ablation, and possible superficial parotidectomy. Associated risks include facial nerve injury, Frey syndrome and facial scarring. Here we report the first case of spontaneous salivary otorrhea conservatively managed with a type A botulinum toxin (BTA) injection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old female presented with a 5-month history of left sided otorrhea and transient left facial swelling associated with gustatory stimulation. The otorrhea fluid tested positive for salivary amylase and negative for beta 2 transferrin. Fifty units of BTA were injected into the left parotid gland under ultrasound guidance. Cessation of symptoms was achieved 3 weeks after intervention. The patient remains symptom-free at the 2 year follow up.

conclusionBTA injection was well tolerated under ultrasound guidance and has led to long-term resolution of the patient's symptoms. BTA injection appears to be a safe and effective way to conservatively manage this rare presentation of spontaneous salivary otorrhea.

Indexed as

SalivaAdolescentBotulinum Toxins, Type ACerebrospinal Fluid OtorrheaFemaleHumansInjectionsParotid GlandUltrasonography, InterventionalBotulinum Toxins, Type AInjectionManagementParotidSalivary otorrheaType a botulinum toxin

Identifiers

PMID32787918
PMCPMC7424646
OpenAlexW3048960064

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.