J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 82(11): 1307-1313, 1981

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Original article

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE PARALYSIS PART 1. CLINICAL STUDY (NO. 2)
Relation between Misswallowhng and Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis

No conclusion has yet been reached as to whether misswallowing can be caused by unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. To clarify this problem, nineteen patients who did not have recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis prior to surgery of the thyroid gland and necessitated unilateral severance of the nerve due to tumor invasion at the time of operation were studied. Of these cases, the nerve was left unsutured in 13 and sutured in 6. Presence or absence of misswallowing was follwed-up for one year after operation and the following results were obtained.
1) Unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis could be the cause for misswallowing.
2) Incomplete glottic closure could be the cause for misswallowing.
3) The cause of incomplete glottic closure was insufficient compensation by the contralateral normal vocal cord or marked atrophy of the affected cord
4) Neurorrhaphy was effective for atrophy of the affected vocal cord, and misswallowing was prevented or improved even when it occurred.

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