Thyroid Flashcards
What is the shape of the Thyroid Gland?
Shield Shaped
T/F: The thyroid gland is a epocrine gland?
False: it is an endocrine gland
What does the thyroid gland produce?
1) Thyroxine
2) Calcitonin
At what spinal levels is the thyroid gland in line with?
Between C5 and T1
What is the general shape of the thyroid gland?
H-shaped or U shaped
What are the parts of the thyroid gland?
1) Left Lobe
2) Right Lobe
3) Isthmus
What anatomical variation of the thyroid gland is present in about 50% of the population?
- A pyramidal lobe
- it extends from the isthmus as a “finger” of glandular tissue
what muscle is associated with an anatomical variation of the thyroid gland?
- Levator Glandulae Thyroideae Muscle
- This is a muscle variation of an infrahyoid muscle that connects the isthmus of the thyroid gland with the hyoid bone and it elevates the thyroid gland
What is the arterial blood supply of the thyroid gland?
1) Superior Thyroid Artery (from the external carotid artery)
2) Inferior Thyroid Artery (from the thyrocervical trunk)
What is the nerve innervation of the thyroid gland?
from the superior, middle and inferior cervical sympathetic ganglia
What vessels are the venous drainage from thryoird gland?
1) Superior Thyroid Vein
2) Middle Thyroid Vein
3) Inferior Thyroid Vein
What anatomical variation to the arterial supply of the thyroid gland is present in about 10% of the population and what clinical significance does this variation have?
Thyroid Ima Artery
-With the position of this artery, along the isthmus, it makes performing any thyroid procedure very difficult
What clinical condition is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland that produces swelling int eh anterior neck?
Goiter
What are the two types of goiter?
1) Endemic Goiter ( due to a dietary deficiency)
2) Exophthalmic goiter (due to autoimmune condition)
A deficiency of what mineral causes an endemic goiter?
Iodine
The condition of the thyroid resembles hypothyroidism. What condition is this and what are the symptoms?
- Endemic Goiter
- Fatigue, “moon” face, poor thermoregulation (always cold)
This condition is characterized by thyroid immunoglobulins binding to iodine receptor cites causing atrophy in the gland. What condition is this and what disease does it lead to?
- Exophthalmic Goiter
- This can lead to Grave’s Disease
What are the symptoms of an exophthalmic goiter?
- resemble hyperthyroidism
- increased metabolism
- consistently increased temperature
- increased heart rate
- bulging eyes
- possible heart faliure
T/F: In an exophthalmic goiter the hormone is inactive.
False. The thyroid hormones remain active although the body does not respond to it
Within the neck, what lies on the posterior surface of the thyroid lobe then goes deep to the lobe?
Recurrent laryngeal nerve
What nerve is the most important nerve of the larynx?
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve
