A left nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve in a patient with vascular and atlantoaxial abnormalities: A case report

Case: We present a case of a fifty-eight-year-old woman with chronic occipital headaches and neck pain who underwent C2-C3 anterior and posterior fusion for cervical instability. Perioperative discovery of multiple cervical anomalies, including a left nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve, greatly complicated the approach. Conclusion: A left nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve is a rare anatomical anomaly that may co-occur with other cervical abnormalities. It is an important anatomical variant to consider during an anterior approach to the cervical spine, especially when preoperative images of the cervical region show vascular and cervical spine anatomical anomalies.