due to outgrowthis from the axis cylinders of the proximal and somatic nerves in the cat, and examining these nerves histologically some time after union has taken place. By using somatic and sympathetic nerves it is comparatively easy to determine to what extent the peripheral nerve is replaced by the proximal one. It is shown that in all cases the functional part of the peripheral nerve is pr...

BACKGROUND Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy affects to 5-10 per cent of patients after extracapsular thyroidectomy. This prospective study assessed the impact of surgical injury and extralaryngeal branching of the inferior laryngeal nerve (ILN) on vocal cord dysfunction (VCD). METHODS Total thyroidectomy or lobectomy was performed in 188 patients, with 302 ILNs at risk. The anatomy o...

OBJECTIVES To analyze the frequency of extralaryngeal branching (ELB) of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) in a consecutive series of patients undergoing thyroidectomy by the same group of surgeons during an extended period and to compare our findings with the data available in the literature. DESIGN Retrospective medical record study. SETTING Academic research. PATIENTS From March 1, 1...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Intraoperative nerve monitoring has emerged as a valuable tool to facilitate recurrent laryngeal nerve identification during thyroid surgery, thereby avoiding its injury. The aim was to evaluate vocal fold mobility in patients who underwent thyroidectomy with intraoperative nerve monitoring. DESIGN AND SETTING Cohort formed by a consecutive series of patients, at a terti...

The recurrent laryngeal nerve is an often cited example of “unintelligent design” in biology, especially in the giraffe. The nerve appears early in embryonic development, before the pharyngeal and aortic arches are separated by the development of the neck. The recurrent course of the nerve from the brain, around the great vessels, to the larynx, is shared by all extant tetrapods. Therefore we m...

Safe, efficient liquid feeding in infant mammals requires the central coordination of oropharyngeal structures innervated by multiple cranial and spinal nerves. The importance of laryngeal sensation and central sensorimotor integration in this system is poorly understood. Recurrent laryngeal nerve lesion (RLN) results in increased aspiration, though the mechanism for this is unclear. This study...

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) display enhanced laryngeal reflex reactivity to stimuli that may be due to sensitization of the laryngeal C-fibers by acid and pepsin. Menthol, a ligand of transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8), relieves throat irritation. However, the possibility that GERD induces laryngeal C-fiber hypersensitivity to cigarette smoke (CS) and tha...

HYPOTHESIS Near-total thyroidectomy, on the basis of its low morbidity rate, is an appropriate treatment option in the surgical management of various thyroid diseases in an endemic region in Turkey. DESIGN Single-institution study of patients with various thyroid diseases treated by means of near-total thyroidectomy within 2 years in an endemic region, with comparison of the results vs the co...

Background. Complete anatomic knowledge including all variations of the inferior laryngeal nerve (ILN) is mandatory for thyroid surgeon. Extralaryngeal terminal division (ETD) of the ILN has significant importance for the safety of thyroidectomy. Material and Methods. Surgical dissection of 200 ILNs was performed on 100 cases. The presence of ETD of the nerve was determined intraoperatively. We...

Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) is a procedure that evaluates the integrity of the muscular and nervous systems of the larynx. This test is performed on patients who have evidence of a movement disorder of the vocal folds. The purpose of the LEMG is to help the physician diagnose and differentiate the causes of these movement disorders. There are several different types of problems that can r...