Non-recurrent laryngeal nerve related to thyroid surgery: a report of 5 cases and literature review.
BACKGROUND
Non-recurrent laryngeal nerve, a rare anomaly, passes transversely into larynx with or without its recurrent branches directly arising from the vagus nerve. The paper investigates clinical significance of non-recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery. Clinical data from 5 cases of non-recurrent laryngeal nerve and related literature reviews were made to acknowledge its incidence, variant types and matters concerned during thyroid operations.


METHODS
821 recurrent laryngeal nerves were anatomized during 2496 thyroid operations, from which 5 were confirmed to hold non-recurrent laryngeal nerves (0.61%). 3 patients were found to have non-recurrent laryngeal nerves during re-operation because of voice horse after the first operation which improved much after re-operation. The other two patients were recognized during the first operation. All 5 cases were not diagnosed preoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-recurrent laryngeal nerve, a rare anomaly, is very vulnerable during thyroid surgery. It is helpful to avoid injuring non-recurrent laryngeal nerve that identification of the non-recurrent laryngeal nerve and its types.
Li
Xinying
X
Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Chansha, Hunan, China.
Wang
Zhiming
Z
Lu
Xinsheng
X
Li
Jingdong
J
Huang
Yun
Y
Huang
Jianhua
J
Long
Xueying
X
D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D007823:Laryngeal Nerves / Q000473:pathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000601:surgery; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000517:prevention & control