Bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve is most commonly affected in-: (A) Neck trauma, (B) Bronchogenic carcinoma, (C) Carcinoma esophagus, (D) Post thyroid surgery
Answer is D. Ans. is 'd' i.e., Post thyroid surgery Causes of recurrent laryngeal nerve (vocal cord or abductor) paralysis* Depending upon the cause, vocal cord paralysis may be unilateral or bilateral.* In unilateral paralysis, left recurrent laryngeal nerve is more prone to paralysis compared to the right one because of its much longer course.* Most common overall cause of vocal cord paralysis is iatrogenic in origin following surgery, most commonly thyroidectomy.* Most common cause of unilateral left vocal cord paralysis is bronchial carcinoma at the left hilum.