Abstract
Seventeen cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis caused by endotracheal intubation for general anesthesia were clinically investigated. In none of them the recurrent laryngeal nerve was involved surgically. The most frequent causal surgery was gastrostomy which had been done in 11 cases. Among the others choledocholithotomy had been performed in two cases, brain surgery in two cases, commissurotomy in one case and retroperitoneal operation in one case. The ratio of the number of the cases which developed recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis of the total surgical cases for each types of operation was also the greatest for gastrostomy.
It should be noted that the value of serum albumin was less than the normal in all the cases except for one. It may be concluded that paralysis is caused primary local circulatory disorders due to an overinflated cuff pressure and that the local circsulation is affected by hypoalbuminemia.
Four patients were followed up one year or more and they recovered completely. As treatments of the paralysis, stellate ganglion block, steroids, polyvitamins and peripheral vasodilator appear effective.
