Systematic Evaluation of Vocal Cord Function is Critical for Thyroid Cancer Patients: A Patient of Left Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Left Vocal Cord Paralysis

Abstract

Temporary or permanent vocal cord paralysis caused by recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is one of the relatively common and serious complications of thyroid surgery. At the same time, there are many reasons for recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Therefore, the recurrent laryngeal nerve should be paid attention to before, during and after thyroid surgery. A 51-year-old woman was diagnosed with left papillary thyroid carcinoma. Unfortunately, the patient had a history of hoarseness following a patent ductus arteriosus ligation. We operated on her for thyroid cancer. Preoperative electronic laryngoscopy revealed paralysis of the left vocal cord, and intraoperative nerve monitor showed no signal of the left vagus nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve. There was no improvement in hoarseness symptoms during postoperative follow-up three months. There are many causes of vocal cord paralysis. In addition to the central injury, any nerve injury of vagus nerve from the brainstem nucleus suspicius to the laryngeal muscle pathway it innervates can cause vocal cord paralysis. Paying attention to the recurrent laryngeal nerve before, during and after surgery can effectively reduce the vocalization of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.