Case of coexisting, ipsilateral nonrecurrent and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerves.

OBJECTIVE

We report an extremely rare case of coexisting, ipsilateral nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve.

METHOD: We present a case report and a review of the world literature concerning ipsilateral nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve.

RESULTS

The presence of a coexisting, ipsilateral nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve is a very rare embryological aberration which is associated with a right subclavian artery originating from the aortic arch. We report a case of coexisting, ipsilateral nonrecurrent and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerves associated with this vascular anomaly.

CONCLUSION

The surgeon must be aware of the possibility of coexisting, ipsilateral nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve and recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve, and thus must trace the nerve in its entirety. Occasionally, what appears to be a nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve will actually be a communicating branch between the recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve and the oesophageal or sympathetic ganglia. If such a neurological variant is present, the consequences of careless dissection could include not only vocal fold paralysis but also dysphagia (if the pharyngeal and oesophageal branches of nonrecurrent or recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve are injured).