A 62-year-old male patient expresses concern that his voice has changed over the preceding months. Imaging reveals a growth located within the aortic arch, adjacent to the left pulmonary artery. Which neural structure is most likely being compressed to cause the changes in the patient's voice?
High-Yield Explanation
The left recurrent laryngeal nerve passes beneath the ligamentum arteriosum and then loops superiorly toward the tracheoesophageal groove, medial to the arch of the aorta.