Varshney Akash, Semwal Ankita, Chandra Yadav Akhilesh, Mahto Kajal, Sangwan Deepak, Bhattarai Shriya, Tyagi Amit Kumar
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, IND.
Cureus. 2023 Sep 18;15(9):e45443. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45443. eCollection 2023 Sep.
Electric injuries (in the form of lightning or electric shock) may lead to various implications in the human body, the most important of which include neurological insults. The damage caused is influenced by the route of its entry into the body, its strength, and the duration of exposure. The muscles of the larynx receive motor supply from the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) (except cricothyroid, which gets innervation from the external laryngeal nerve). Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy leading to vocal cord palsy is seen in several pathologies, but after thorough research of existing literature, we could only find a single case of vocal cord palsy following electric injuries, which was also lost in follow-up. In this report, we present a case of unilateral vocal cord palsy following an electric injury on the ipsilateral arm of a young male. He presented to the emergency department of our center soon after the accident. A multidisciplinary team was engaged in the overall management of the patient (in view of pleural effusion, acute kidney injury, and burn injury). He was started on steroids, speech therapy, and other supportive management. On follow-up, his condition improved, and laryngeal endoscopy showed positive signs. This case highlights a unique but rare possibility of vocal cord palsy following electric injuries and may help in the prompt diagnosis and management of the same.
电损伤（以雷击或电击的形式）可能会对人体产生各种影响，其中最重要的包括神经损伤。其造成的损害受电流进入身体的途径、强度和暴露持续时间的影响。喉肌由喉返神经（RLN）提供运动神经支配（环甲肌除外，它由喉外神经支配）。喉返神经（RLN）麻痹导致声带麻痹在多种病理情况下可见，但在对现有文献进行全面研究后，我们仅发现一例电损伤后声带麻痹的病例，且该病例在随访中失访。在本报告中，我们呈现了一名年轻男性因同侧手臂电损伤后出现单侧声带麻痹的病例。事故发生后不久，他被送往我们中心的急诊科。一个多学科团队参与了该患者的整体管理（鉴于胸腔积液、急性肾损伤和烧伤）。他开始接受类固醇治疗、言语治疗和其他支持性治疗。随访时，他的病情有所改善，喉镜检查显示出积极迹象。该病例突出了电损伤后声带麻痹这一独特但罕见的可能性，可能有助于对此类情况的及时诊断和处理。
