Nonrecurrent Laryngeal nerve: A case report and a review of an important anatomical variant

Abstract

An important anatomical structure commonly encountered during major head and neck surgery is the recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve. Nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve variants are rarely encountered. Although much less common, these variants represent a significant risk for intraoperative nerve injury and patient morbidity. We present a case of a right nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve variant along with a retrospective analysis and systematic review investigating the overall incidence of these variants.