Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32775254›Full record

ArticleGland surgery2020

A useful landmark to locate the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy.

Siu-Kwan Ng, Hok-Nam Li, Jason Ying-Kuen Chan, Eddy W Y Wong, Alexander C Vlantis

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Article in Gland surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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3 · Its place in the literature

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2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Siu-Kwan NgDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Hok-Nam LiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Jason Ying-Kuen ChanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Eddy W Y WongDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Alexander C VlantisDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo determine whether the insertion of the sternothyroid muscle onto the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage can be used to reliably locate the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) during thyroidectomy.

methodsThis is a prospective descriptive case series. The EBSLN was identified and confirmed with a nerve stimulator during thyroid surgery. The entry point of the EBSLN into the inferior constrictor/cricothyroid muscle was measured in relation to the insertion and anterior border of the sternothyroid muscle. The perpendicular distance from the insertion of the sternothyroid muscle onto the oblique line was designated the vertical distance (VD) of the nerve entry point (NEP), and the perpendicular distance from the anterior border of the sternothyroid muscle was designated the horizontal distance.

resultsNinety patients underwent 130 thyroid lobectomies (60 female, 30 male) (mean age 53.5 years, range, 18-91 years). An attempt to identify the nerve was made in 127 thyroid lobectomies. The EBSLN was identified in 111 cases (87.4%). The mean VD of the NEP from the muscle insertion was 1.1 mm (SD 1.1 mm, range, 0-5 mm) and the mean horizontal distance (HD) was 9.5 mm (SD 3.8 mm, range, 2-21 mm).

conclusionsThe EBSLN muscle entry point usually lies 1.1 mm from the sternothyroid insertion onto the oblique line, and 5-12 mm from the anterior border of the muscle. These useful landmarks allow the nerve to be consistently located, identified and preserved during thyroid surgery prior to ligating the superior thyroid vessels.

Indexed as

Laryngeal nervesurgical landmarkthyroidectomy

Identifiers

PMID32775254
PMCPMC7347832

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