Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)
Thyroid gland
Glandula thyroidea
- Origin
- Butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the anterior neck (C5-T1 level) spanning the 2nd to 4th tracheal rings via its central isthmus
- Insertion
- Enclosed within the pretracheal fascia and anchored to the cricoid cartilage by Berry's ligament
- Function
- Synthesizes and secretes thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) regulating basal metabolic rate, oxygen consumption, and protein synthesis; C-cells secrete calcitonin
- Innervation
- Cervical sympathetic ganglia and vagus nerve branches (recurrent and superior laryngeal nerves)
- Movement & chain
- Elevates synchronously with the larynx and trachea during deglutition
- Palpation
- Bimanual palpation anteriorly or from behind the patient while asking them to swallow water
- Clinical
- Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's thyroiditis, fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance), hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease, toxic goiter, exophthalmos, tremors), thyroid nodules, and thyroid malignancies (papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic).
- Segmental innervation
- C5-T1 spinal segments
- In clinical practice
- Thyroid palpation technique during swallowing, monitoring TSH/free T4, post-thyroidectomy voice assessment (recurrent laryngeal nerve check) and monitoring for hypocalcemic tetany (Chvostek's/Trousseau's signs)
- Region in the model
- Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)