Bilateral Adductor Nerve Palsy Following Total Thyroidectomy: A Case Report

Prashant Bhatt; Apar Pokharel

Prashant Bhatt Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
Apar Pokharel Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve palsy following thyroidectomy is usually attributed to surgery whereas sometimes the cause can be non-surgical and can result in adductor palsy. Bilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) paralysis is a rare complication of thyroidectomy. We present a 35 years female patient who developed dysphonia due to bilateral adductor RLN palsy following total thyroidectomy. The clinical findings and recovery were suggestive of a non-surgical cause for palsy in this patient. The management of these patients differs and the knowledge in this regard is very important for the surgeons. Tracheostomy is not required, and recovery of the nerve occurs in most cases in adductor palsy.

Keywords: palsy; recurrent laryngeal nerve; total thyroidectomy.