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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Identification and Protection of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy
Published on: October 24, 2025
[Zuckerkandl's tubercle: incidence and relationship with the inferior laryngeal nerve]
Y E James1, A Doleagbenou2, I Kassegne3
1Laboratoire d'anatomie, faculté des sciences de la santé, BP 1515, 08 BP 81574, Lomé, Togo; Service de chirurgie orthopédique, CHU Sylvanus-Olympio, BP 57, Lomé, Togo.
Unlabelled:
The iatrogenal lesion of the inferior laryngeal nerve (ILN) during thyroid surgery is an incident, which can have greatest functional after-effects. Its research is recommended during cervicotomy for thyroidectomy and it can be easily found by the presence of Zuckerkandl tubercle, which is a postero-lateral excrescence of the thyroid gland.
Objectives:
The main objective of our study was the researching of the presence of this Zuckerkandl tubercle and appreciating the reports with the ILN.
Patients And Methods:
From 1st October 2010 to 30th September 2012, we realized a continuous prospective study on a mono-operator series of 48 patients operated on for thyroidectomy. The Zuckerkandl tubercle has been researched from all the patients and classified according to the classification of Pelizzo et al.
Results:
From 21 patients (43.75%), the Zuckerkandl tubercle has been well identified and it was grade 3 and grade 2. In those cases, the ILN was very closed to the tubercle. For the 27 other patients (56.25%), the tubercle was practically undetectable or reduced to a small glandular mound (grades 0 and 1). The connections with the nerve in this case were less evident.
Conclusion:
The zuckerkandl tubercle is comparatively frequent and is refound more than one time over 3 in our study. Its presence makes easier the identification of the ILN, which entertains a dangerous connection with the thyroid gland.
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