Trifurcation of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve: A Case Report

• Published in: Haseki tıp bülteni Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 78 - 80
• Main Authors: Uluşahin, Mehmet, Çekiç, Arif Burak, Bodur, Muhammed Selim, Tomas, Kadir, Arslan, Mithat Kerim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Istanbul Haseki Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi 01.03.2018; Galenos Publishing House; Galenos Yayinevi
• Subjects: anatomic variation; Case reports; Dissection; Larynx; nerve injury; Recurrent laryngeal nerve; Sağlık Hizmetleri; Surgeons; Surgery; Thyroid gland; thyroidectomy; Tıp; trifurcation; Veins & arteries; İstanbul; Türkiye; Turkey; tiroidektomi; thyroidectomy; anatomik varyasyon; nerve injury; anatomic variation; sinir hasarı; Rekürren laringeal sinir; trifurcation; trifurkasyon; Recurrent laryngeal nerve
• ISSN: 1302-0072; 2147-2688
• DOI: 10.4274/haseki.69885

Nowadays, thyroidectomy is a frequently performed type of surgery. Although thyroid operations are generally performed without complications, there may be many anatomic variation and complications related with them. Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis is a frightening complication of thyroid surgery. For preventing this complication, having a good knowledge and experience about this small anatomic region is necessary. In this paper, we present a case of RLN variation identified in a 36-year-old female patient with multinodular goiter. Thyroidectomy was decided after examinations performed due to palpable swelling in the neck, then, three-branched left RLN was found after proper dissection and preserved during thyroidectomy operation. No complication was observed in the postoperative period and the patient was discharged next day.