1999 Volume 1999 Issue Supplement101 Pages 112-117
The factors associated with postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) were analyzed in 718 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (size of cancer tumor > 11 mm) treated between 1991 and 1995. The papillary cancer group included 658 patients. Of these 658 patients,114developed RLNP (17.3%). Follicular cancer group was 60 patients. Of the 60 patients,2developed RLNP (3.3%). The RLNP in papillary cancer group was significantly worse than that in follicular cancer group (P<0.01). The risk factor for RLNP was analyzed. In papillary cancer group, age, size of cancer tumor, adhesion of the tumor to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and neck dissection were identified as significant risk factors for occurence of RLNP. Papillary cancer was more malignant, if age was older and size of cancer tumor was bigger.
