Salient Anatomical Landmarks of Thyroid and Their Practical Significance in Thyroid Surgery: a Pictorial Review of Thyroid Surgical Anatomy (revisited)

Thyroid surgery is a prototype of operations requiring thorough knowledge of surgical anatomy. There are many vital and delicate anatomical structures such as recurrent laryngeal nerve, superior laryngeal nerve, parathyroid glands, and distinct fascial planes surrounding the thyroid gland. A protean range of pathologies such as goiter, nodules, thyroiditis, and malignancy distort or alter the location and course of these structures and planes. The distinct vascular supply and high vascularity of thyroid region challenges the surgeon's expertise. Several pathologies like malignancy, multinodularity, toxicity, and retrosternal extension further compounds this vascular aspect of surgery. Several structures of embryological importance such as pyramidal lobe, tubercle of Zuckerkandl, and ligament of Berry have decisive clinical implications in the surgical management of thyroid disorders. Surgeons attempting thyroidectomy need to have thorough knowledge of embryology and surgical anatomy of the thyroid gland. In this context, we highlight through a pictorial assay the embryological and anatomical aspects of the thyroid gland emphasizing on their clinical and surgical importance.