Three Cases With a Full Recovery of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Paralysis following Thyroidectomy and Electromyogram of the Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles

In the cases complicated with the vocal cord paralysis following thyroidectomy, 3 cases with a full healing, which were interesting from the standpoint of the vulnerability of the recurrent laryngeal nerve at the operation and in the laryngoscopic and electromyographic findings of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles during the period in the paralysis, were reported.For the vocal cord paralysis following thyroidectomy, the next conclusions were obtained by recording the electromyography of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles with the lapse of time after the operation.(1) Although the vocal cord appearently shows the fixation, the intrinsic laryngeal muscles at the paralytic side are to be in various conditions, which can have various influences on the laryngoscopic findings.(2) Of factors that have influences on the fixation of the vocal cord, not only the nerve paralysis, but also the unbalance of the activity of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles and the disturbance of the arytenoid joint must be considered.(3) Electromyography of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles is significant in observation of the clinical process and judging the prognosis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis.