Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve by an extracapsular thyroid adenoma

We treated a patient with an ectopic thyroid adenoma that caused recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and upper aerodigestive tract compression. After excision of the mass and release of the compressed recurrent nerve, the true vocal cord function returned almost to normal. We review the literature, diagnosis, and management of thyroid disease associated with vocal cord paralysis.