IJAR.2025.245
Type of Article: Original Research
Volume 13; Issue 4 (December 2025)
Page No.: 9368-9373
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.16965/ijar.2025.245
Anatomical Aspects of Thyroid Gland Innervation and their Clinical Significance
Zora Haviarová *¹, Roman Kuruc ², Štefan Durdík ³, Viktor Matejčík ⁴.
*1 Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 2, 81372 Bratislava, Slovakia, ORCiD: 0000-0003-1583-6938
2 Institute of Forensic Medicine, Health Care of Surveillance Authority, Žellova 2, 82924 Bratislava 25, Slovakia, ORCiD: 0000-0002-5058-5356
3 Department of Oncological Surgery, St. Elizabeth Cancer Institute, Heydukova 10, 812 50 Bratislava, Slovakia, ORCiD: 0000-0001-7290-5122
4 Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Comenius University, Limbová 5, 83305 Bratislava, Slovakia, ORCiD: 0000-0001-9051-4803
Corresponding author: Assoc. Prof. Zora Haviarová, M.D., Ph.D., Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Sasinkova 2, 81372 Bratislava, Slovakia, E-Mail: zora.haviarova@fmed.uniba.sk
ABSTRACT:
Background. The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland, and thyroid diseases are common health problems, especially in females. Thyroid disorders like goitre, adenoma and carcinoma can be manipulated mainly through surgical interventions. Nerve fibres provide the innervation of the thyroid gland from two sources: the cervical part of the sympathetic trunk and the vagus nerve, especially from its branches – the superior and inferior laryngeal nerves.
Material and methods. 20 human cadavers (17 male, 3 females, age range 30-86 yrs, without any nervous pathology) were dissected in the supine position. The cervical autonomous system was clarified bilaterally through a ‘scarf’ skin incision made on both sides along the clavicle to its lateral part. Then the vagus nerve, sympathetic trunk, spinal nerves and their branches, and the phrenic nerve were dissected, followed and documented.
Results. The number of nerve twigs involved in thyroid innervation is different in each case. In some cases, the branches exiting from the sympathetic trunk dominate over the vagus nerve twigs; on the other hand, vagus nerve branches prevail. If there are additional ganglia in the sympathetic trunk cervical part, the rare cases of its longitudinal distribution were observed. Various situations are drawn in schemes.
Conclusion. A thorough and detailed knowledge of thyroid innervation anatomy is essential not only for safe thyroid surgery to minimise postoperative complications, but also for other cervical surgical approaches (like for example, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion).
Keywords: Thyroid gland, Innervation, Variability.
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