Frey’s syndrome
Overview
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 not, and can persist for life
Symptoms
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 Mandibular 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 where the cut or clamp part of the sympathetic trunk 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
Treatment
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