Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
Identification and Protection of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Transoral Robotic Thyroidectomy
Published on: October 24, 2025
Intraoperative identification of the human communicating nerve during thyroidectomy
Benjamin L Hodnett1, Nicole C Schmitt2, Parthasarathy D Thirumala3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract:
The human communicating nerve (HCN) is a connection between the superior and recurrent laryngeal nerves that has been described in cadaveric studies. We report a case of an extralaryngeal variant of the HCN that was identified and stimulated intraoperatively during thyroidectomy. This appears to be the first case of intraoperative identification of this anatomic variant, of which the functional significance remains unclear.
