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Laryngeal nerve damage

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Definition:

Laryngeal nerve damage is injury to one or both of the nerves that are attached to the voice box.

Alternative Names:

Vocal cord paralysis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Injury to the laryngeal nerves is uncommon.

However, it may occur as a complication of neck or chest surgery (especially thyroid, lung, or heart surgery) or as a result of a breathing tube in the windpipe (endotracheal tube).

Laryngeal nerve damage may also occur from tumors in the neck or upper chest, such as thyroid or lung cancer.

• Review Date: 10/20/2006
• Reviewed By: Alden J. Pearl, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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