Delayed lower cranial neuropathies following primary radiotherapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Delayed lower cranial neuropathy is a rare complication following primary radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and has been most associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with minimal data regarding this outcome in the treatment of the oropharynx. No reports, to the authors' knowledge, have described this complication following intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for oropharyngeal primaries. Once encountered, this adverse outcome can have serious impacts on speech and swallowing. We present here our institution's experience with delayed cranial neuropathies following primary radiation therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, as well as document the only reported case following IMRT.