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Suspensory ligament of Berry: Its relationship to recurrent laryngeal nerve and anatomic examination of 24 autopsies
Author(s) -
Sasou Shunichi,
Nakamura Shinichi,
Kurihara Hideo
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(199812)20:8<695::aid-hed6>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - ligament , medicine , recurrent laryngeal nerve , anatomy , thyroid , cadaver , recurrent nerve , suspensory ligament , thyroidectomy , berry , surgery , paralysis , biology , botany
Background It is important to clarify the relationship between the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and the ligament of Berry to prevent damage to the RLN in thyroid surgery. The purpose of the present paper is to identify this relationship to prevent surgical complications. Methods Among the 486 thyroid surgery cases, 689 RLNs were identified and their course detected. Topography of the laryngotracheoesophageal region and the histology of the ligament of Berry were studied in detail in 25 autopsied cadavers. Results All nerves identified by surgery and autopsy were located laterodorsally to the ligament of Berry. They were clearly separated, and no nerve penetrated the ligament nor was medially located to it. The ligament of Berry strongly connected the thyroid gland to the trachea and was identified as a whitish connective tissue band. No paralysis of the RLN occurred during identification of the nerve during surgery. Conclusions It was confirmed that the RLN never penetrates the ligament of Berry but is located laterally to it. From these topographic findings, no injury to the RLN will occur from a separation close to the goiter in thyroid surgery. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 20: 695–698, 1998.