Recurrent laryngeal nerve landmarks revisited

TY - JOUR

T1 - Recurrent laryngeal nerve landmarks revisited

A1 - Asgharpour,Elham

A1 - Maranillo,Eva

A1 - Sanudo,Jose

A1 - Pascual-Font,Aran

A1 - Rodriguez-Niedenfuehr,Marc

A1 - Valderrama,Francisco J.

A1 - Viejo,Fermin

A1 - Parkin,Ian G.

A1 - Vazquez,Teresa

AU - Asgharpour,Elham

AU - Maranillo,Eva

AU - Sanudo,Jose

AU - Pascual-Font,Aran

AU - Rodriguez-Niedenfuehr,Marc

AU - Valderrama,Francisco J.

AU - Viejo,Fermin

AU - Parkin,Ian G.

AU - Vazquez,Teresa

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - <p>Background The aim of this work was to evaluate, to prove their reliability, the different surgical landmarks previously proposed as a mean to locate the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Methods The necks of 143 (68 male and 76 female) human adult embalmed cadavers were examined. RLN origin and length and its relationship to different landmarks were recorded and results compared with those previously reported. Statistical comparisons were performed using the chi-square test (significance, p = .05). Results Mostly, RLN is located anterior to the tracheoesophageal sulcus (41.6%), posterior to the inferior thyroid artery (35.8%), lateral to Berry's ligament (88.1%), below the inferior rim of the inferior constrictor muscle (90.4%), and entering the larynx before its terminal division (54.6%). Conclusions The position of the RLN in relation to those structures classically considered as landmarks is highly variable. The most reliable relationships are those with Berry's ligament or the inferior constrictor muscle. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012</p>

AB - <p>Background The aim of this work was to evaluate, to prove their reliability, the different surgical landmarks previously proposed as a mean to locate the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Methods The necks of 143 (68 male and 76 female) human adult embalmed cadavers were examined. RLN origin and length and its relationship to different landmarks were recorded and results compared with those previously reported. Statistical comparisons were performed using the chi-square test (significance, p = .05). Results Mostly, RLN is located anterior to the tracheoesophageal sulcus (41.6%), posterior to the inferior thyroid artery (35.8%), lateral to Berry's ligament (88.1%), below the inferior rim of the inferior constrictor muscle (90.4%), and entering the larynx before its terminal division (54.6%). Conclusions The position of the RLN in relation to those structures classically considered as landmarks is highly variable. The most reliable relationships are those with Berry's ligament or the inferior constrictor muscle. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012</p>

U2 - 10.1002/hed.21882

DO - 10.1002/hed.21882

M1 - Article

JO - Head and Neck - Journal for the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck

JF - Head and Neck - Journal for the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck

SN - 1043-3074

IS - 9

VL - 34

SP - 1240

EP - 1246

ER -