Inferior thyroid artery
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| Artery: Inferior thyroid artery | |
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| Thyrocervical trunk and its branches, including inferior thyroid artery. Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck. | |
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| Human parathyroid glands | |
| Latin | arteria thyreoidea inferior |
| Gray's | subject #148 581 |
| Supplies | thyroid |
| Source | thyrocervical trunk |
| Vein | inferior thyroid veins |
The inferior thyroid artery passes upward, in front of the vertebral artery and Longus colli; then turns medialward behind the carotid sheath and its contents, and also behind the sympathetic trunk, the middle cervical ganglion resting upon the vessel.
Reaching the lower border of the thyroid gland it divides into two branches, which supply the postero-inferior parts of the gland, and anastomose with the superior thyroid, and with the corresponding artery of the opposite side.
The recurrent nerve passes upward generally behind, but occasionally in front, of the artery. This makes it vulnerable to injury during surgery that involves ligating the inferior thyroid artery, such as excision of the lower pole of the thyroid gland.
[edit] Branches
The branches of the inferior thyroid are:
- Inferior laryngeal artery
- Esophageal branches of inferior thyroid artery
- Tracheal artery
- Ascending cervical artery
- Muscular artery
[edit] Additional images
 The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind. |
[edit] External links
- Inferior+thyroid+artery at eMedicine Dictionary
- Anatomy at MUN head/cbv
- lesson5 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (antthyroidgland)
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
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