recurrent laryngeal nerves

recurrent laryngeal nerves

Branches of the vagus, the 10th pair of cranial nerves. The recurrent laryngeal nerves leave the main trunk low in the neck, especially on the left side, and run up again to supply the muscles of larynx concerned with phonation. One of these nerves is commonly involved in neck cancer, the first sign of which may be severe loss of voice from paralysis of one vocal cord.