Non-recurrent laryngeal nerve

Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve is a serious complication in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The anatomy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is variable. Non-recurrent nerve is a very rare variation of the inferior laryngeal nerve. Because of the anatomical variations of the nerve, preservation of the nerve is the optimal strategy during surgery. In this case report, we present a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve abnormality in a patient who underwent parathyroidectomy, thyroidectomy and functional neck dissection for malignant parathyroid disease. A non-recurrent laryngeal nerve was identified during nerve exploration.