Non-recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Identified During Robotic Thyroidectomy in a Patient with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
10.16956/kjes.2016.16.1.13
- Author:
Sang Yull KANG
1
;
Seon Kwang KIM
;
Hyun Jo YOUN
;
Sung Hoo JUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery and Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea. yhj0903@jbnu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Recurrent laryngeal nerve;
Robotics;
Thyroidectomy;
Papillary thyroid carcinoma
- MeSH:
Arteries;
Biopsy, Fine-Needle;
Endoscopes;
Female;
Humans;
Laryngeal Nerves*;
Larynx;
Lymph Node Excision;
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve;
Robotics;
Thyroid Gland*;
Thyroid Neoplasms*;
Thyroidectomy*;
Vagus Nerve
- From:Korean Journal of Endocrine Surgery
2016;16(1):13-17
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
A non-recurrent laryngeal nerve is a rare anatomical variant that entails considerable risk for iatrogenic injury during thyroid surgery. We encountered a patient with a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve that went unnoticed on preoperative imaging but was discovered incidentally during robotic thyroidectomy. A 44 year old woman presented at our department with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, diagnosed by ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration cytology. During robotic right thyroidectomy and central lymph node dissection, we could not detect any structure resembling the recurrent laryngeal nerve around the inferior thyroid artery. Thus, we suspected the existence of a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve, and successfully identified a nerve entering the larynx directly from the vagus nerve without recurring. A three-dimensional high magnification view via a robotic endoscope can aid thyroid surgeons to safely identify and preserve a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve.
