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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Thyroid Endocrinology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1356935

Echotexture of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves: The Depiction of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves at High-Frequency Ultrasound during Radical Thyroidectomy

Provisionally accepted
Ziyue Hu Ziyue Hu 1*Man Lu Man Lu 1*Jiang Zirui Jiang Zirui 2Xu Wang Xu Wang 1Wei Yang Wei Yang 1Yuting Fan Yuting Fan 1Tingting Li Tingting Li 1Lu Wang Lu Wang 1Ting Wei Ting Wei 1Quan Dai Quan Dai 1
  • 1 Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China
  • 2 Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: To investigate the ultrasound characteristics of recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs) during radical surgery for thyroid cancer and to enhance the understanding of RLN ultrasound features. Methods: From October 2021 to December 2022, a prospective study was conducted involving 24 patients scheduled for bilateral thyroid surgery. Near the conclusion of the surgery, intraoperative ultrasonography of the RLN within the tracheoesophageal groove was performed using a 15-7 MHz transducer. The thickness and width of the RLN were measured during the procedure. Results: The internal architecture of the RLN was observed to consist of multiple hypoechoic, parallel, but discontinuous linear hyperechoic areas separated by bands. In the normal RLN group, the diameter of the RLN was relatively consistent, with thickness ranging from 2.20 to 2.71 mm (mean: 2.48±0.14 mm) and width from 1.25 to 1.70 mm (mean: 1.45±0.11 mm). Both weight and the body mass index (BMI) showed a statistically significant correlation with RLN thickness (Weight: r=0.544, P=0.001; BMI: r=0.605, P=0.001). The BMI also showed a statistically significant correlation with the RLN width (r=0.377, P=0.033). In the RLN invasion group, the width of invaded RLNs ranged from 1.9 to 2.3 mm (mean: 2.10±0.11 mm), while the width of non-invaded RLNs ranged from 2.6 to 3.2 mm (mean: 2.93±0.20 mm). Conclusions: Ultrasound effectively reveals the structural features of the RLN and enhances sonographers' understanding of RLN characteristics.

    Keywords: Recurrent laryngeal nerves, High-frequency ultrasound, Radical thyroidectomy Introducation, peripheral nerve, Recurrent laryngeal nerves invasion

    Received: 16 Apr 2024; Accepted: 29 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hu, Lu, Zirui, Wang, Yang, Fan, Li, Wang, Wei and Dai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Ziyue Hu, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China
    Man Lu, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.