Surgical anatomy of the superior laryngeal nerve

Abstract

Damage to the superior laryngeal nerve has been scarcely mentioned in thyroid surgery, though much emphasis is placed on the preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. In the present paper fifty-four adult cadaver larynges with the thyroid gland were studied in order to make clear the vulnerability of the superior laryngeal nerve during thyroid operation. The results obtained are as follows : (1) The external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was found to run adjacent to the thyroid gland in 68% and apart from the gland in 32%. (2) The external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve ran very close to the superior thyroid artery. The nerve was situated posteriorly to the artery in 45% of our cases and ran between the braches of the artery in 55%. (3) The internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve ran apart less than 20mm from the upper pole of the thyroid gland in 62% and apart less than 25mm in 88%. © 1965, The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved.