Endocrine Anatomy - Thyroid & Parathyroid Gland
Where is the location of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and what is its clinical significance in relation to the thyroid glands?
Runs in the tracheoesophageal groove -Passes in between the branches of the inferior thyroid artery - During surgery,inferior thyroid artery will be clamped. The RLN can be accidentally damaged as well.  1 side damage: Husky voice Both side damage: No voice & stridor
The thyroid and cricoid cartilage occurs
between C3-C6
What cells are found in the parathyroid glands?
chief cells oxyphil cells connective tissue fibers in a stroma of adipose tissue
Where does the lower border of the cricoid lie and what is the importance of this?
-It lies at C6 which is also the junction of the larynx with the trachea and the pharynx with the esophagus. -The inferior thyroid artery enters and the middle thyroid artery leaves the gland -The vertebral artery enters the transverse foramen -The omohyoid crosses the carotid sheath -The middle cervical sympathetic ganglion -the carotid artery can be compressed at the transverse process of C6
The base of the thyroid lies at ____ and the upper borders of the thyroid glands lie at_____
-at the 6th tracheal ring. -the oblique line on the thyroid cartilage
The hyoid bone lies at
C3
The carotid bifurcation occurs at
C3 - C4
The thyroid notch occurs just posterior to
C4
The cricothyroid ligament lies at
C5
What is the Lymphatic drainage of the thyroid?
Lymphatic drainage passes frequently the lateral deep cervical lymph nodes and the pre- and parathracheal lymph nodes.
What is the arterial blood supply of the thyroid?
The thyroid is supplied with arterial blood from the superior thyroid artery, a branch of the external carotid artery, and the inferior thyroid artery, a branch of the thyrocervical trunk, and sometimes by the thyroid ima artery, branching directly from the brachiocephalic trunk.
What is the venous blood supply of the thyroid?
The venous blood is drained via: superior and middle thyroid veins, draining in the internal jugular vein The inferior thyroid veins, draining into the left brachiocephalic vein.
The isthmus lies
over the 3rd, 4th, and 5th tracheal rings and superior to the suprasternal notch T2/T3
Name the 7 types of lymph nodes and their location
submental - under chin submandibular - left and right underjaw superior deep cervical - down left and right upper neck - drains to inferior deep cervical nodes then jugular trunk inferior deep cervical - down left and right lower neck-drains to jugular trunk paratracheal - running on each side of the trachea beneath the thyroid gland pretracheal - anterior to the trachea prelaryngeal-anterior to the larynz
The gland is supplied by parasympathetic nerve input from
the superior laryngeal nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
What are the effects of compression of: trachea esophagus recurrent laryngeal nerve carotid sheath sympathetic chain
trachea-dyspnea or shortness of breath esophagus - dysphagia or diff swallowing recurrent laryngeal nerve - hoarseness carotid sheath-posterior displacement sympathetic chain-Horner's syndrome (droopy eyelid, pupil constriction)
