title: Non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve with multiple arterial abnormalities.
abstract: Non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRILN) is a rare embryologic anomaly that can increase the risk of injury during thyroid surgery. Although the association between the NRILN and an aberrant right subclavian artery has been reported, to date there have been no reports describing cases of NRILN with multiple vascular abnormalities. A 60-year-old man with papillary thyroid carcinoma and a history of right internal carotid artery occlusion by thrombosis was examined with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The right NRILN was found during a total thyroidectomy with surrounding lymph node dissection. MRA revealed an aberrant right subclavian artery and aplasia of the bilateral posterior communicating arteries composing the circle of Willis. This is the first clinical report demonstrating NRILN with multiple vascular abnormalities. Patients with NRILN must be examined for vascular anomalies and associated lesions such as aneurysms and thromboembolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan. m-koba@doc.medic.mie-u.uc.jp
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yuta
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Majima
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020769:Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy