Anatomical peculiarities of the origin and traject of the superior thyroid artery

Abstract

the methods of dissection and analysis of angioCT’s. Each of the details was analyzed comparatively on both sides of the body assessing: the origin of the superior thyroid artery in relation to the carotid bifurcation, the face of the external carotid artery that gives origin and the traject of the artery from the origin to the glandular parenchyma. The origin of the superior thyroid artery was evaluated on a number of 64 cases, most frequently having its origin from the external carotid artery, an aspect met 53.125 % of cases, at a distance that was between 1-18 mm. In 28.125 % of cases the superior thyroid artery had its origin in the common carotid trunk at a distance of 1-10 mm caudal to the terminal bifurcation of the common carotid. In 18.75 % of cases, the thyroid artery originated from the carotid bifurcation, which thus ends up by trifurcation. The side of the vessel that emerges the superior thyroid artery was assessed on 42 cases; most commonly the superior thyroid artery having its origin on the medial face, an aspect found in 66.67 % of cases; in 23.81 % of cases originated from the posterior medial and only two cases (4.76 % of cases), both on the left side(8.70 % of cases on the left), the origin of the superior thyroid artery was located on the anterior, respectively faces of the common carotid artery. The traject of the superior thyroid artery was followed on 53 cases, in most cases the artery showing initially a horizontal traject (transverse) towards medially for 1-4 cm, then became obliquely downward, an aspect met in 28.30 % of cases and in 22.64 % of cases, the artery was obliquely downward from its origin. In 11.32 % of cases the traject was obliquely ascending and in 9.43 % of cases the artery was initially obliquely upward for 2-3 cm, after which became transverse. For the remaining 28.30 % of the cases we have met a number of other 5 different patterns of traject but in a small percentage for each of them (5.66% of cases).

Observations on the Superior Thyroid Artery and its Relationship with the External Laryngeal Nerve

“…The current study confirms the variable origin of the STA with it arising most commonly from the ECA (71 %) but greater than Gavrilidou [2,6,7] and Anitha [1,3] (Table 5). In contrast, Toni [18] and Lucev [4] reported the most common origin as being from the CCA, while in Vasquez [8] the most common origin was from the common carotid bifurcation ( Table 5).…”

“…The superior thyroid artery usually arises as the first branch of the external carotid artery, although it can arise from the common carotid artery or its bifurcation [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. As it passes inferiorly the superior thyroid artery is accompanied by the external laryngeal nerve before coursing anteromedially towards the superior pole of the thyroid gland where it divides into anterior and posterior branches which run on the respective borders of the lateral lobe as far as the isthmus before anastomosing with branches of the inferior thyroid artery.…”