KBB-Forum 2018 , Cilt 17, Sayı 2

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIATIONS OF THE EXTERNAL BRANCH OF THE SUPERIOR LARYNGEAL NERVE AND THE RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE AND NECK CIRCUMFERENCE: A CADAVERIC STUDY

Mehmet Emre DİNÇ1,MD; Abdullah DALĞIÇ2,MD; Erdoğan KARA3,MD; Berke ÖZÜCER4,MD; Hüseyin SARI1
1Okmeydanı Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, Istanbul, Turkey
2Bozyaka Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, Istanbul, Turkey
3Adli Tıp Kurumu, Morg Departmanı, Istanbul, Turkey
4Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi İstanbul Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, Istanbul, Turkey Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a relationship was evident between variations of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) and the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and neck circumference in adult cadavers.

Methods: Bilateral neck dissections were performed on 42 cadavers (84 sides); 31 males and 11 females with a of mean age 56.48 ± 10.10 years. EBSLNs were classified using the system proposed by Cernea et al. and RLNs were classified in terms of their relationship to the inferior thyroid artery.

Results: We found statistically significant associations between EBSLN and RLN Types. EBSLN Type 2b was significantly more common in patients with type B RLNs compared with type A RLNs (p=0.015) and type C RLNs (p=0.037). Also, EBSLN Type 2a was significantly more common in patients with type A RLNs compared with type C RLNs (p=0.018). We found no significant association between EBSLN or RLN Type and neck circumference, except for Type 2a and 2b EBSNs. The neck circumference of cases with Type 2a EBSLNs was less than that of those with Type 2b EBSLNs (p=0.005).

Conclusions: The relationships that we have identified may aid surgeons to identify the EBSLN. Keywords : Superior laryngeal nerve, recurrent laryngeal nerve, neck circumference, anatomic variation