Diagnosis of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy after thyroidectomy: a systematic review
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- 1 April 2009
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in International Journal of Clinical Practice
- Vol. 63 (4), 624-629
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01875.x
Abstract
Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) is a recognised possible complication after thyroid surgery. It may present with a variety of symptoms, such as voice change and respiratory symptoms. However, it may remain undetected and the true incidence may be under-reported. The aim of this study was to determine the reported incidence of temporary and permanent palsy after thyroid surgery using different vocal assessment methods.A Medline search was performed. A systematic review was undertaken which included 27 articles and 25,000 patients.The average incidence of temporary RLNP after thyroid operations is 9.8% and the incidence of permanent RLNP is 2.3%. The RLNP rate varied according to the method of examining the larynx and ranged from 26% to 2.3%. Most of the reviewed studies recommend a follow-up period up to 1 year to assess and evaluate RLNP.Our study has identified that different methods are used to diagnose RNLP and that a wide variety of reported RLNP rates exist. We propose establishment of a 'gold standard' for assessing the voice after thyroidectomy to reduce reporting bias.Keywords
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