Unilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy after septoplasty under general anaesthesia

Abstract

Hypoglossal nerve palsy (HNP) is a rare perioperative complication. Causes of this condition are mostly attributed to oropharyngeal manipulation during airway management, suggesting injuries involving the peripheral part of the nerve. Owing to the concomitant pathways of the nerves, the hypoglossal nerve might be injured together with the recurrent laryngeal (Tapia’s syndrome) or lingual nerves. The present report described a case of isolated HNP as a rare perioperative complication.