title: The Anatomical Relationship Between Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve and First Tracheal Ring in Males and Females.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the modern advances in thyroid surgery, recurrent laryngeal nerve (rln) paralysis is still a critical problem. In order to decrease the rate of this complication, rln anatomy has been studied intensively. In our study, we aimed to recognize the relationship of rln and landmarks of the first tracheal ring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-six female and 18 male patients who were undergone total thyroidectomy were included in this study. Trachea vertical height (tvh), right recurrent laryngeal nerve height (rrh), left recurrent laryngeal nerve height (lrh), right recurrent laryngeal nerve to trachea anterior face median raphe distance (rrd), left recurrent laryngeal nerve to trachea anterior face median raphe distance (lrd), right recurrent laryngeal nerve respect to trachea ratio (rrtr), and left recurrent laryngeal nerve respect to trachea ratio (lrtr) parameters of all patients were measured and compared in males and females using independentt-test and measurements on both right and left sides were compared statistically without sex discrimination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between groups in tvh, rrh, rrd, lrd, rrtr, and lrtr parameters. Lrh parameter was significantly higher in males than in females (P<0.04). Comparison of right and left sides revealed that lrh was significantly higher than rrh (P<0.001), lrd was significantly higher than rrd (P<0.001), and rrtr was significantly higher than lrtr (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we have shown that in all cases the rln was located around the lower half of trachea vertical length and at this level left rln was located significantly deeper than the right side.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Diyarbakir Selahaddin Eyyubi Public Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akil
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Clinic, Gumushane Public Hospital, Gumushane, Turkey.
authors.forename: Umur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yollu
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Gazi Yasargil Education and Research Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayral
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology Department, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yener
keywords: Anatomy; Intraoperative Complications; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; Thyroidectomy; Trachea