Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
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BACKGROUND: As one of the various treatments for primary hyperhidrosis, chemical destructive block of the thoracic sympathetic nerve chain may cause postoperative complications such as recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, but this complication is rare in clinical practice.
CASE REPORT: We found that one patient had symptoms of hoarseness and dysphonia after chemical damage to the thoracic sympathetic nerve chain, mainly occurring at high pitches. Combined with the patient’s imaging data and video laryngoscope examination results, we considered that a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury had occurred on one side. Three months after the operation, the patient’s symptoms of hoarseness were alleviated.
CONCLUSIONS: Although there is low probability of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in chemical destructive block of the thoracic sympathetic chain, it still requires an experienced thoracic surgeon to perform precise operations under computed tomography guidance. Percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation may greatly reduce the possibility of nerve injury caused by the fluidity of anhydrous alcohol, so it can be better applied in clinical practice.
KEY WORDS: Chemical destructive block, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, thoracic sympathetic chain
