A Clinical Analysis of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis:A 30-year Review at a Single Institution, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

Abstract

A total of 562 patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (RLNP) who had visited our department of otolaryngology at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine between 1988 and 2000 were examined and the results were compared with those from 436 patients with RLNP who had visited the same hospital between 1971 and 1987.
Compared with the later mentioned group, the rate of infant patients affected had increased. Cases of RLNP caused by esophageal cancer, heart and aortic disease as well as post-endotracheal intubation had grown in number. Cases of RLNP from unknown causes had decreased. This was probably due to progress in diagnostic techniques utilizing imaging such as CT, MRI and ultrasonic examination. In some cases, the chest CT revealed causes which chest radiographs could not diagnose. A high rate of recovery was observed in patients with RLNP due to intubation as well as after common cold infections in both groups of patients.