| Abstrakt: |
The incidence is about 0.7 percent of patients admitted for thyroid surgery. It is caused mainly by compression of the nerve against the cervical spine or the trachea by a thyroid mass. Other mechanisms may be stretching of the nerve, especially by retrosternal goiters, and inflammation and edema of the nerve trunk. Rapid enlargement of the thyroid gland, or of a pre-existing goiter, hoarseness, and a sensation of pressure are cardinal signs of an advanced thyroid malignancy, usually carrying a poor prognosis. Five case histories were reported. All patients presented with all or most of these cardinal signs, yet their thyroid disease was proven benign at surgery. Two out of five patients regained motility of their previously paralyzed cords after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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