Thyroid and parathyroid

glands
 The Neck
• Its superior boundary is along the
inferior margins of the mandible and
bone features on the posterior aspect of
the skull.
• The posterior neck is higher than the
anterior neck to connect cervical viscera
with the posterior openings of the nasal
and oral cavities.
• The inferior boundary of the neck
extends from the top of the sternum,
along the clavicle, and onto the adjacent
acromion, a bony projection of the
scapula.
• Posteriorly, from the superior nuchal line
on the occipital bone of the skull to the
intervertebral disc between the CVII and
TI vertebrae.
 Neck compartments
1. The vertebral compartment
contains the cervical vertebrae
and associated postural muscles.
2. The visceral compartment
2
contains important glands 3 3
(thyroid, parathyroid, and
thymus) , and parts of the
1
respiratory and digestive tracts that pass
between the head and thorax.
3. The two vascular compartments,
o o each side, contain the
n
e
m or vesselsand the
aj veins and nerves
 Platysma
• begins in the
superficial fascia of the
thorax
• attached to the
mandible and blend
with the muscles on
the face
Layers of the neck
 Prevertebral layer

• prevertebral muscles
• the anterior, middle,
and posterior scalene
muscles
• the deep muscles of the
back
 Pretracheal layer
• Anteriorly pretracheal
fascia encloses the
infrahyoid muscles,
and covers the trachea
and the thyroid gland.
• Laterally, this fascia
encloses the thyroid
gland and more
posteriorly is
continuous with fascia
that surrounds the
esophagus.
Carotid sheath
Fascial spaces
1 – Omohyoid
2 – Sternothyroid
3 – Sternohyoid
 Arterial supply to the thyroid gland

• Two major arteries

supply the thyroid gland:
superior thyroid( from
external carotid artery)
and inferior thyroid
• Superior thyroid is
divided into: anterior
glandular and posterior
glandular
• Inferior thyroid artery (ITA)
is a branch of thyrocervical
trunk,which branches from
subclavian artery on pleural
dome in front and a little lateral
of the vertebral artery
• It is divided into: inferior
laringeal and ascending cervical
arterys and also gives
pharyngeal, tracheal and
esophageal branches.
• ITA also supplies the four
parathyroid glands
 Thyroid ima artery

Arises from the

brachiocephalic trunk
and is bifurcated into the
branches and enters the
bases of the right and
left lobes of the thyroid
glands
Venous drainage of thyroid gland
Recurrent laryngeal branches