Amputation neuroma of the great auricular nerve after operations on the parotid gland.

We found an incidence of 6% (5/81) of traumatic neuroma after section of the great auricular nerve during operations on the parotid gland. Excision permits definitive diagnosis, the stump being allowed to retract beneath the belly of the sternomastoid muscle. However, excision is not always indicated, and the diagnosis can be made clinically allowing for a more conservative treatment policy. Copyright 2000 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.