title: Intraoperative identification of the human communicating nerve during thyroidectomy.
abstract: The human communicating nerve (HCN) is a connection between the superior and recurrent laryngeal nerves that has been described in cadaveric studies. We report a case of an extralaryngeal variant of the HCN that was identified and stimulated intraoperatively during thyroidectomy. This appears to be the first case of intraoperative identification of this anatomic variant, of which the functional significance remains unclear.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hodnett
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tumor Biology Section, National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery & Neurology, Center for Clinical Neurophysiology (CCN), UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Parthasarathy D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Thirumala
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Health System, Eye and Ear Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA duvvuriu@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Umamaheswar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Duvvuri