A Study on Etiology of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis

Abstract

In one patient complaining of hoarseness showed no other finding than the fixation of the right vocal cord at the midline position compatible with recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, the swallowing function study with barium revealed the extrinsic compression of the upper part of the esophagus. On bronchoscopic examination was found a slight bulging of the wall of the trachea.
From these findings the author sueggested that any patient with recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis due to unknown etiology should have the swallowing function study as well as bronchoscopic examination.