Sherman Jonathan H, Colborn Gene L
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Clin Anat. 2003 Nov;16(6):534-7. doi: 10.1002/ca.10195.
Dissection of an adult male cadaver revealed an absence of the left inferior thyroid artery; its usual area of distribution to the thyroid gland was supplied by the right inferior thyroid artery. Absence of the left inferior thyroid artery occurs in 1-6% of cases. The inferior thyroid artery arises commonly from the thyrocervical trunk, passes posterior to the carotid sheath and supplies the inferior pole of the corresponding lobe of the thyroid gland; its branches can course anterior or posterior to or between branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. During thyroid surgery it is imperative to identify the relationship of the inferior thyroid artery to the recurrent laryngeal nerve or to establish its absence because injury to the nerve can be a major complication; awareness of significant variations of the surgical anatomy of the thyroid gland is vital for preserving the integrity of important structures.
对一具成年男性尸体进行解剖时发现，左甲状腺下动脉缺如；其通常分布至甲状腺的区域由右甲状腺下动脉供血。左甲状腺下动脉缺如的情况在1%至6%的病例中出现。甲状腺下动脉通常起自甲状颈干，在颈动脉鞘后方经过，供应甲状腺相应叶的下极；其分支可在喉返神经分支的前方、后方或之间走行。在甲状腺手术中，必须明确甲状腺下动脉与喉返神经的关系或确认其缺如，因为神经损伤可能是一种主要并发症；了解甲状腺手术解剖结构的显著变异对于保护重要结构的完整性至关重要。
