Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy Following Blunt Trauma of Lateral Neck

Objective: Laryngotracheal traumas are rare conditions and may cause wide spectrum of complications on the laryngeal airway. Impact of trauma may affect soft tissue, nerves and cartilage of larynx. For each injury, different treatment modalities from simple observation to urgent surgical intervention may be necessary. Method: We would like to present a 24 year-old female patient who had a blunt trauma from lateral side of anterior neck that was resulted in hoarseness and breathiness of the voice in following days. Results: On video-laryngostroboscopy, endolaryngeal soft tissue damage with restricted left vocal fold movement was observed. Partial recurrent laryngeal nerve damage showed on electromyography. Patient informed about the situation and injection laryngoplasty with hyaluronic acid was planned to be used to improve the voice quality during regeneration period. Conclusion: Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy due to blunt trauma is a very rare condition and laryngeal EMG is observed to be a very helpful tool for diagnosis and decision for treatment.