LARYNGEAL NERVES: SURGICAL IMPORTANCE IN RELATION TO THE THYROID ARTERIES, THYROID GLAND AND LARYNX

Abstract

The variation in the course and direction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve on the right and on the left side may be explained on an embryologic basis. As the heart and the great vessel of the chest, the aorta, descend from their point of origin behind the face, they carry this nerve with them. This is also applicable to the descent of the right subclavian artery. Both of the recurrent nerves have their point of origin in close proximity to the vessels just mentioned. They are carried downward by the descent of these structures during embryonic life. This can be demonstrated in the presence of an anomalous position of these vessels. Such a condition is accompanied by an anomalous location of the respective nerves.¹ From this brief description of the embryology, the variability that the recurrent nerve may assume can be appreciated. Gross deviations are rare;