Thyroid Gland Flashcards
Develops as an endodermal outgrowth or an evagination from the midline of the floor of the pharynx, between tuberculum impar and copula
Thyroid gland
The thickening becomes what duct
Thyroglossal duct
- wc elongates and later be bilobed
The duct becomes a solid cord and migrates down the neck passing thru the developing
Hyoid bone
Site of origin of the thyroglossal duct on the tongue remajns as a pit called the
Foramen cecum
Thyroid gland location
Below larynx on either side of and the anterior to trachea
Thyroid gland and relation to larynx, trachea, esophagus
Below larynx on either side
Anterior to trachea
Trachea lies inferior to larynx, esophagus is posterior to it
Surgical removal of thyroid may lead to injury of these organs
Thyroid gland and relation to parathyroid glands
Parathyroid glands - embedded posterior to thyroid gland, superior & inferior pole
Inadvertent removal during thyroidectomy causes hypoparathyroidism
Thyroid gland and relation to recurrent laryngeal nerve
These bilateral branches of the vagus nerve pass posteromedially along the groove between the esophagus and the trachea
Tumor invasion or injury results to hoarseness
Thyroid gland and relation to neck muscles & great vessels
Common carotid artery lies immediately lateral to the thyroid
Tumor invasion or injury may cause injury to any or all adjacent structures
Relation to lobes: ANTEROLATERALLY
The sternothyroid, superior belly of omohyoid, and anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid
Relation to lobes: POSTEROLATERALLY
Carotid sheath w the common carotid artery, the internal jugular vein, and vagus nerve
Relation to lobes: MEDIALLY
Larynx, trachea, pharynx and esophagus
Associated w these are cricothyroid muscle and its nerve supply, external laryngeal nerve
Between esophagus & trachea = recurrent laryngeal nerve
Rounded posterior border of each lobe is posterior to the superior and inferior parathyroid glands and the anastomosis between the superior and inferior thyroid arteries
Relations of the Isthmus
Anteriorly: the sternothyroids, sternohyoids, anterior jugular veins, fascia, and skin
Posteriorly: the second, third, and fourth rings of the trachea
The terminal branches of the superior thyroid arteries anastomose along its upper border
Thyroid gland is firmly attached to the laryngotracheal skeleton via the
Visceral or pretracheal fascia
When swallowing, what moves? Thyroid masses or brachial cysts and dermoid cyst
Thyroid masses
What lvl of the thyroid does the base lie?
4th and 5th tracheal ring
Others sources: attached to travhea from the midlvl of thyroid cartilage to the 5th and 6th travheal cartilage
Thyroid wt
Approx 15-20g
Some source: 16 +/- 6 g (10-22)
Each lobe is approx what thickness and length
2 to 2.5cm in thickness and width at its largest diameter and 4cm length
Thyroid lobes are connected by a narrow bridge of tissue called
Isthmus
A vascular organ surrounded by a sheath derived from the
pretracheal layer of deep fascia
- sheath attaches the gland to the larynx and trachea
Isthmus extends across the midline in front of the
2nd, 3rd or 4th tracheal rings
A pyrimidal lobe projects upward from the isthmus, usually to
the left of the midline
A fibrous or muscular band frequently connects the pyramidal lobe to the hyood bone; if it’s musculare it is referred to as
Levator glandulae thyroideae
Abnormalities in the pattern of thyroid dev, s/a persistence of this tract leads to a
thyroglossal duct cyst
Protrusion of tongue causes movement of thyroglossal duct cyst as opposed to
True thyroid masses (e.g goiter) wc move on deglutition
Fxnal unit of thyroid gland
Follicle (acinus) surrounded by a rich capillary plexus
The ht of the follicular epithelium varies w the degree of stimulation of
TSH
The ht of the follicular epithelium varies w the degree of stimulation of
TSH
Glandular epi veries w the degree of stimulation
Columnar: active
Flat: inactive
Lumen of the follicle filled w a clear, amber proteinaceous fluid called
Also a major constituent of thyroid mass
Colloid
Extend to colloid from the apical (adluminal) border, wc is the site od iodination rxn
Microvilli
Also occurs in the apical border
Initial phase of thyroid hormone secretion (i.e resorption of the colloid by endocytosis)
Parafollicular (C) cells secrete
Do not border on the follicular lumen
Calcitonin
Major constituent of colloid is the large glycoprotein that contains thyroid hormones within its molecule
Thyroglobulin
When the gland is inactive
The colloid is abundant
Follicles are large
Cells lining them are flat
When gland is active
Follicle are smol
Cells cuboid or columnar
Edge of colloid is scalloped, forming many smol “reabsorption lacunae”
Thyroid gland arteries
Superior thyroid artery
Inferior thyroid artery
Thyroidea ima
A branch of the external carotid artery
Descends to the upper pole of each lobe, accompanied by external laryngeal nerve
Superior thyroid artery
A branch of the thyrocervical trunk, ascends behind the gland to the lvl of the cricoid cartilage
It then turns medially and downward to reavh the posterior border of the gland
The recurrent laryngeal nerve crosses either in front or behind the artery or pass between its branches
Inferior thyroid artery
If present, may arise from the brachiocephalic artery or arch of aorta
Ascends in front of trachea to the isthmus
Thyroidea ima
Thyroid gland veins
Superior thyroid - drains into internal jugular vein
Middle thyroid - drains into internal jugular vein
Inferior thyroid - receives its tributaries from the isthmus and the lower poles of the gland
Veins of the two sides anastomose w one another as they descend in front of the trachea
They drain into the left brachiocephalic vein in the thorax
Inferior thyroid vein
Lymphatic drainage of thyroid gland
Mainly laterally into the deep cervical LN
Few descend to the paratracheal nodes
Thyroid innervation
Both adrenergic and cholinergic NS via fivers arising from the cervical ganglia and vagus nerve, respectively
Afferent fibers pass thru the laryngealnerves and regulate an
Active vasomotor system
One fxn of neurogenic stimuli is to
regulate blood flow of thyroid
Major secretory product of thyroid gland is
3,5,3’,5’ - tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine) T4
Other thyroid hormone
T3
3,5,3’-triiodothyronine
Molar activity
T3 to T4
3-5:1
Secretory ratio
T4 to T3
10-20:1
Plasma conc ratio
Free T4 to free T3
2:1
Most T3 in plasma is derived from the monodeiodination of T4 by action of
Monodeiodinase (5’-deiodinase)
- found in peripheral tissues
Biologically inactive thyronine formed by peripheral conversion catalyzed by 5-deiodinase
rT3
Each thyroglobulin molecule contains approximately how many tyrosine residues?
120
Thyroid accumulates what from the plasma?
Inorganic iodide
In the US, Daily dietary iodine intake is about
500ug
How much iodide is required per week to maintain euthyroidism?
1mg of iodide or 150ug/day
Thyroid gland stored enuff thyroid hormone to maintain a euthyroid state for how many months w/o hormone synthesis?
3 months
Throid gland contains how much iodide?
5-7mg iodide
2/3 of total iodide content in the colloid is in the form of
biologically inactive iodothyrosines
1/3 of the colloid iodide content is in form of
biologically active thyronines t3t4
Also formed in the peripheral tissues by deiodination of T4
T3
More active hoe
T3 ayt
The naturally occurring forms of T4 and its congeners with asymmetric C atom are the
L isomers
Has only smol fraction of the activity of D form
D-thyroxine
Smol amts of rT3 are also found in
Thyroid venouse bld
Thyroglobulin glycoprotein is made up of two subunitsand has a MW of
660,000
10% carbs by wt
123 tyrosine residues (4-8 lang incorporated)
3 fxns of thyroid cells
- Collect abd transport iodine
- Synthesize Tg, secrete it into the colloid
- Remove thyroid hormones from Tg and secrete to circ
The normal plasma iodine lvl
0.3ug/dL
How much iodine enter the thyroid at normal rates?
120ug/d