title: Uncommon and rare causes of vocal fold paralysis detected via imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cross-sectional imaging can be used to trace the course of the vagus nerve and its laryngeal branches to detect many of the causes of vocal fold paralysis. The most frequent aetiologies are surgical injury and tumoural involvement of the recurrent laryngeal nerve anywhere along its course.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review article focuses on the uncommon and rare causes of vocal fold paralysis that have been detected or diagnosed on cross-sectional imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uncommon causes included a tortuous oesophagus, tracheal diverticulum, cervical osteophytes and cardiovocal syndrome. These examples are presented with clinical case histories and radiological appearances, and are discussed in the context of the current literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sobrino-Guijarro
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Virk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Lingam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017541:Aneurysm, False; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000002:abnormalities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D054850:Osteophyte; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D016672:Zenker Diverticulum