| Thyroid ima artery | |
|---|---|
 Location of the artery depicted in the image | |
| Details | |
| Source | Brachiocephalic artery (most common) |
| Supplies | Thyroid gland, trachea, parathyroid glands, thymus gland (as thymica accessoria) |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria thyroidea ima |
| TA98 | A12.2.04.005 |
| TA2 | 4180 |
| FMA | 3936 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
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. Furthermore, it varies in origin, size, blood supply, and termination, and occurs in around 3.8% of the population and is 4.5 times more common in fetuses than in adults.[1] Because of the variations and rarity, it may lead to surgical complications, particularly during tracheostomy and other airway managements.
- ^ Yurasakpong, Laphatrada; Nantasenamat, Chanin; Janta, Sirorat; Eiamratchanee, Pinthusorn; Coey, James; Chaiyamoon, Arada; Kruepunga, Nutmethee; Senarai, Thanyaporn; Langer, Martin Franz; Meemon, Krai; Suwannakhan, Athikhun (2022). "The decreasing prevalence of the thyroid ima artery: a systematic review and machine learning assisted meta-analysis". Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger. 239: 151803. doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151803. ISSN 0940-9602. PMID 34265384.