Endocrine Glands

Question 1

What vertebral levels is the thyroid gland located between?

Answer 1

C5 - T1

Question 2

Which lobe of the thyroid is only present in 50% of the population?

Answer 2

Pyramidal lobe

Question 3

Which compartment of the neck is the thyroid gland located?

What structure is this compartment bounded by?

Answer 3

Visceral

Pretracheal fascia

Question 4

Describe the development of the thyroid gland

Answer 4

Initially forms in the primitive pharynx, near base of tongue
Diverticulum develops from this to form thyroglossal duct
Thyroglossal ducts elongates and distal end becomes bi lobed

Question 5

How many weeks does it take for the thyroid gland to descend to lie in its adult anatomical position?

Answer 5

7 weeks

Question 6

What part of the tongue indicates the site of origin of the thyroglossal duct?

Answer 6

Foramen cecum

Question 7

Where can accessory thyroid tissue be found?

Answer 7

Anywhere along the path of the migration of the thyroid gland

Question 8

What are ectopic thyroid glands?

Answer 8

Where the gland fails to descend, so it is located high in the neck

Question 9

What are thyroglossal duct cysts?

Answer 9

Where the thyroid duct failed to degenerate leaving a persistant connection between the thyroid gland and the back of the tongue

Question 10

What is the arterial supply to the thyroid gland?

Where do they arise from?

Answer 10

Superior thyroid artery - arises from external carotid
Inferior thyroid artery - branch of thyrocervical trunk (branch of subclavian)

Thyroid Ima artery (10% of people) - brachiocephalic trunk

Question 11

What are the 3 veins that drain the thyroid gland?

Where do they drain into?

Answer 11

Superior thyroid - internal jugular
Middle thyroid - internal jugular
Inferior thyroid - right and left brachiocephalic

Question 12

What are the lymphatic nodes that drain the thyroid?

Answer 12

Prelaryngeal
Pretracheal
Paratracheal

Question 13

What control does the sympathetic supply to the thyroid gland have?

Answer 13

Vasomotor control

Question 14

Which direction can a thyroid goitre not enlarge in and why?

Answer 14

Superior direction

Because of the superior attachments of the sternothyroid and sternohyoid muscles

Question 15

What structures are at risk of being compressed by a thyroid goitre?

Answer 15

Oesophagus
Recurrent laryngeal nerves
Trachea

Question 16

Where are the parathyroid glands located?

Answer 16

On the posterior aspect of the lateral lobes of the thyroid gland

Question 17

What is the arterial supply of the parathyroid glands?

Answer 17

Inferior thyroid arteries

Question 18

Which of the suprarenal glands is larger in shape?

Answer 18

The left gland

Question 19

What is the name of the fascia that encloses the adrenal glands with the kidneys?

Answer 19

Perinephric fascia

Question 20

What is the difference in colour between the cortex and medulla in the adrenal glands?

Answer 20

Cortex - yellow

Medulla - dark brown

Question 21

What are the three functional divisions of the adrenal cortex, from superficial to deep?

Answer 21

Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasciculata
Zona reticularis

Question 22

What does the Zona glomerulosa produce and secrete?

Answer 22

Mineralcorticoids e.g, aldosterone

Question 23

What does the Zona fasciculata produce and secrete?

Answer 23

Corticosteroids e.g, cortisol

Question 24

What does the Zona reticularis produce and secrete?

Answer 24

Sex steroids e.g, androgens

Question 25

What are the secreting cells of the medulla in the adrenal glands?

Answer 25

Chromaffin cells

Question 26

What do chromaffin cells secrete?

Answer 26

Catecholamines e.g, adrenaline - fight or flight response

Enkephalins - pain control

Question 27

What kind of ganglion might be the medulla of the adrenal gland considered to be?

Answer 27

A sympathetic ganglion

Question 28

What are the three arteries that supply the adrenal glands and where do they arise from?

Answer 28

Superior adrenal - inferior phrenic
Middle adrenal - abdominal aorta
Inferior adrenal - renal arteries

Question 29

What are the veins that drain the right and left adrenal glands and where do they drain into?

Answer 29

Right adrenal gland - drained by the right adrenal vein into the IVC

Left adrenal gland - drained by left adrenal vein into the left renal vein