Thyrocervical trunk

Thyrocervical trunk
Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
Details
Source	subclavian
Branches	inferior thyroid suprascapular transverse cervical ascending cervical artery
Identifiers
Latin	Truncus thyreocervicalis
Dorlands /Elsevier	t_20/12826131
TA	A12.2.08.042
FMA	3990
Anatomical terminology []

The thyrocervical trunk is a branch of the subclavian artery arising from the first portion of this vessel, i.e. between the origin of the subclavian artery and the inner border of the scalenus anterior muscle. It is located distally to the vertebral artery and proximally to the .

It is a short and thick vessel and it divides soon after its origin into four branches:

(Transverse cervical artery is present in about 1/3rd of cases. In rest dorsal scapular and superficial cervical arteries arise separately)(ref Essentials of human anatomy Head and neck A.K. Dutta 5th Edition p94)

The suprascapular artery and transverse cervical artery both head laterally and cross in front of (anterior to) the scalenus anterior muscle and the phrenic nerve. The inferior thyroid artery runs superiorly from the thyrocervical trunk to the inferior portion of the thyroid gland.

The internal mammary artery and its branches.