Abstract:Objective The recurrent laryngeal nerve has many branches and anatomical variations. Here, a rare case of the right laryngeal nerve communicating with the cervical sympathetic nerve is reported, which will attract the attention of clinicians. Methods The physical examination of a 30-year-old woman revealed a thyroid nodule. Before the operation, the fine needle biopsy cytology was proved to be thyroid papillary carcinoma, and the patient had an operation under general anesthesia. Intraoperative exploration found that that the patient's right non-recurrent laryngeal nerve communicated with the cervical sympathetic nerve, then becoming one up into the larynx, which is a rare anatomical variation of the laryngeal recurrent nerve. With careful dissection, the laryngeal recurrent nerve was kept intact. Results The patient's voice was normal, no hoarseness, drinking water cough and other complications after surgery. The patient was discharged from hospital successfully 4 days after the operation. Fibrolaryngoscopy showed that bilateral vocal cord activity was normal 6 weeks after surgery. Conclusions In thyroid surgery, it is necessary to enhance the understanding of the anatomy and variation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Careful separation and precise dissection in different layers are mandatory so as to protect the neural integrity.