Inferior thyroid artery

Inferior thyroid artery
Thyrocervical trunk and its branches, including inferior thyroid artery. Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck.
Details
SourceThyrocervical trunk
VeinInferior thyroid veins
SuppliesThyroid gland
Identifiers
Latinarteria thyreoidea inferior
TA98A12.2.08.043
TA24591
FMA10662
Anatomical terminology

The inferior thyroid artery is an artery in the neck. It arises from the thyrocervical trunk and passes upward, in front of the vertebral artery and longus colli muscle. It then turns medially behind the carotid sheath and its contents, and also behind the sympathetic trunk, the middle cervical ganglion resting upon the vessel.

Reaching the lower border of the thyroid gland it divides into two branches, which supply the postero-inferior parts of the gland, and anastomose with the superior thyroid artery, and with the corresponding artery of the opposite side.