Thyroid ima artery
| Thyroid ima artery | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Source | Brachiocephalic, others |
| Supplies | Thyroid gland, trachea, parathyroid glands, thymus gland (as thymica accessoria) |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Arteria thyroidea ima |
| Dorlands /Elsevier |
a_61/12156370 |
| TA | A12.2.04.005 |
| FMA | 3936 |
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Anatomical terminology []
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The thyroid ima artery (thyroidea ima artery, arteria thyroidea ima, thyroid artery of Neubauer or the lowest thyroid artery) is an artery of the head and neck. It is an anatomical variant that, when present, supplies blood to the thyroid gland primarily, or the trachea, the parathyroid gland and the thymus gland (as thymica accessoria) in rare cases. It has also been reported to be a compensatory artery when one or both of the inferior thyroid arteries are absent and in a few cases the only source of blood to the thyroid gland. It varies in origin, size, blood supply, and termination, and occurs in only 3–10% of the population. Because of the variations and rarity, it may lead to surgical complications.
The thyroid ima artery is an embryonic artery and it occurs because of the failure of the vessel to close, remaining patent (open).
The artery has a variable origin. It mostly arises from the brachiocephalic trunk, but may also originate from the aortic arch, the right common carotid, the subclavian, the pericardiacophrenic artery, the thyrocervical trunk, the transverse scapular or the internal thoracic artery. It ascends in front of the trachea in the superior mediastinum to the lower part of the thyroid gland.
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