Delayed Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Following Right Opercular-Insular Infarction

Park, Min-Keun; Choi, Hwajin; Ok, Taedong

doi:2026.44.4.327

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 44(4); 2026 > Article

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2026;44(4): 327-331. doi: https://doi.org/10.17340/jkna.2026.0038

우측 덮개부-섬엽경색 후 발생한 지연성 양측 성대마비

박민근¹, 최화진², 옥태동¹

¹국민건강보험 일산병원 신경과
²연세대학교 의과대학 용인세브란스병원 신경과

Delayed Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Following Right Opercular-Insular Infarction

Min-Keun Park MD¹, Hwajin Choi MD², Taedong Ok MD, PhD¹

¹Department of Neurology, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea
²Department of Neurology, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea

Corresponding Author: Taedong Ok ,Tel: +82-31-900-3733, Fax: +82-31-900-0049, Email: gentleboyn@gmail.com

Received: May 28, 2026 Revised: June 19, 2026 Accepted: June 22, 2026 Published online: November 1, 2026

Abstract

We report a case of an 84-year-old man who developed delayed bilateral vocal cord paralysis requiring tracheostomy following right middle cerebral artery infarction involving the opercular-insular region, raising the possibility that unilateral opercular-insular injury may disrupt bilateral laryngeal motor control in certain individuals, and highlighting the need for awareness of this rare but life-threatening complication after middle cerebral artery infarction.

Key Words: Vocal cord paralysis | Middle cerebral artery infarction | Insular cortex