Home > Encyclopedia of Cancer > Laryngeal Nerve Palsy

Description

Laryngeal nerve palsy is damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (or less commonly the vagus nerve) that results in paralysis of the larynx (voice box). Paralysis may be temporary or permanent. Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve is most likely to occur during surgery on the thyroid gland to treat cancer of the thyroid. Laryngeal nerve palsy is also called recurrent laryngeal nerve damage.

The vagus nerve is one of 12 cranial nerves that connect the brain to other organs in the body. It runs from the brain to the large intestine. In the neck, the vagus nerve gives off a paired branch nerve called the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The recurrent laryngeal nerves lie in grooves along either side of the trachea (windpipe) between the trachea and the thyroid gland.

The recurrent laryngeal nerve controls movement of the larynx....