title: [Zuckerkandl's tubercle: incidence and relationship with the inferior laryngeal nerve].
abstract: The iatrogenal lesion of the inferior laryngeal nerve (ILN) during thyroid surgery is an incident, which can have greatest functional after-effects. Its research is recommended during cervicotomy for thyroidectomy and it can be easily found by the presence of Zuckerkandl tubercle, which is a postero-lateral excrescence of the thyroid gland.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of our study was the researching of the presence of this Zuckerkandl tubercle and appreciating the reports with the ILN.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1st October 2010 to 30th September 2012, we realized a continuous prospective study on a mono-operator series of 48 patients operated on for thyroidectomy. The Zuckerkandl tubercle has been researched from all the patients and classified according to the classification of Pelizzo et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 21 patients (43.75%), the Zuckerkandl tubercle has been well identified and it was grade 3 and grade 2. In those cases, the ILN was very closed to the tubercle. For the 27 other patients (56.25%), the tubercle was practically undetectable or reduced to a small glandular mound (grades 0 and 1). The connections with the nerve in this case were less evident.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The zuckerkandl tubercle is comparatively frequent and is refound more than one time over 3 in our study. Its presence makes easier the identification of the ILN, which entertains a dangerous connection with the thyroid gland.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo; Service de chirurgie orthopédique, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo. Electronic address: nanoj@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Y E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doleagbenou
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie générale et digestive, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kassegne
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo; Service de chirurgie orthopédique, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Biramah
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keke
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie générale et digestive, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Dosseh
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie générale et digestive, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ayite
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo; Service de chirurgie générale et digestive, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D061224:Laryngeal Nerve Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D007823:Laryngeal Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
keywords: Inferior laryngeal nerve; Nerf laryngé inférieur; Thyroid; Thyroïde; Tubercule de Zuckerkandl; Zuckerkandl's tubercle