甲状腺手术喉返神经损伤规律及治疗的探讨

目的 探讨甲状腺手术喉返神经损伤的规律及中早期神经减压的疗效。方法 甲状腺手术喉返神经损伤单侧声带麻痹87例,其中行喉返神经探查65例,非手术治疗22例。探查术中观察喉返神经损伤部位、类型、程度及神经肌肉形态;对缝扎、粘连伤行神经减压治疗14例。治疗前后以喉镜、嗓音声学参数、肌电图检查等评价治疗效果。结果 探查发现喉返神经被缝线结扎、瘢痕粘连压迫、断离分别占43％(28/65)、9％(6/65)、48％(31/65)。损伤部位以近环甲关节处多见,占75％(49/65);甲状腺中下部占25％(16/65)。病程半年以内者喉内肌及损伤处远端神经干萎缩并不严重,病程越长萎缩变性越明显。神经切断伤上述改变较缝扎伤及压迫伤更为明显;但病程18个月喉内肌仍可见肌纤维组织结构。病程3个月内神经减压10例中9例声带恢复了不同程度的内收及外展功能;病程3个月以内1例、3-5个月4例神经减压术后声带未恢复运动,但均恢复了正常的肌张力、肌体积,声带振动及黏膜波对称,嗓音亦恢复正常。非手术治疗组声嘶有改善,但嗓音未恢复正常,声带亦未恢复运动。结论 通过喉返神经探查初步揭示甲状腺手术喉返神经损伤的规律,中早期喉返神经减压术能恢复声带生理性运动功能。

Nerve exploration and decompression for traumatic recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries induced by thyroid gland surgery

Objective To show the findings of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury exploration and find out therapeutic effects, indications and timing of nerve decompression for traumatic recurrent laryngeal nerve injury induced by thyroid gland surgery. Methods In this study there were 87 patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, including 65 for nerve exploration and 22 for nonsurgical treatment. During nerve exploration, the types, severity of laryngeal nerve injuries and laryngeal muscular mass were studied. Nerve decompression was performed in these 14 patients whose compressing sutures or compression due to cicatricial hypertrophy were received nerve decompression. Results Injuries caused by thyroid gland operations mostly are of suture ligation(43% ) and nerve severance (48% ) ; simple scar compression was found only in 6 cases(9% ). Atrophy of the laryngeal muscles was not very serious in patients with a course less than 6 months. In 10 patients with a course less than three months, nerve decompression restored normal functional adductory and abductory motion of the vocal cord in 9 patients and had no effects in one. Although functional motion of vocal cord was not seen in one case with a course less than 3 months and 4 cases between 3 and 5 months, the mass and tension of the reinnervated vocal cord became much the same as the contralateral normal vocal cord, thus resuming symmetric vibration of the vocal cords and physiological phonation. Although nonsurgical treatment improved severe hoarseness, it didn't restore normal functional motion of the vocal cord and normal voice. Conclusions Nerve exploration showed a primary rule for recurrent laryngeal nerve injury induced by thyroid gland surgery. Early and mid-stage recurrent laryngeal nerve exploration and decompression may restore normal motion of the glottis, and it suggested laryngeal delayed reinnervation may help patients with a course more than 6 months.