RESUMO
Background: The risk of injuring recurrent laryngeal nerves which can result in voice or swallowing problems can be a major complication during thyroid surgeries. Intraoperative injury to RLN can be an issue and can have a detrimental impact on patients’ quality of life. The incidence of injury to recurrent laryngeal nerve worldwide ranges from 0.5 to 20%. To prevent such surgical complications of thyroid, a detailed anatomy of inferior vascular pedicle (inferior thyroid artery) and its relation to adjacent recurrent laryngeal nerve is required. Aim: The aim of the study was, To find out the variable anatomical relationship between inferior thyroid artery and recurrent laryngeal nerve at the base of lateral lobes of thyroid gland. Materials and methods: This descriptive study was conducted for a period of 72 months at the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai-2, between January 2015 – January 2021 by dissection method in 60 adult (54 male and 6 female) cadavers (60 – right & 60 – left sides). Results: Results were noted, tabulated and interpreted. It was found that the recurrent laryngeal nerve at the base of thyroid gland which was predominantly posterior on both sides (R-78.33%, L- 100%) to inferior thyroid artery and in 21.66% anterior to ITA on right. Conclusion: The recurrent laryngeal nerve may lie anterior or posterior to inferior thyroid artery. In the present study, the recurrent laryngeal nerve was posterior most commonly on both sides to inferior thyroid artery. On the right, the second common presentation was the recurrent laryngeal nerve lying anterior to inferior thyroid artery.