Συμβολή στην ανατομική & απεικονιστική μελέτη της φλεβικής αποχέτευσης του θυρεοειδούς αδένα

Abstract

Aim: Aim of the present study was the anatomic identification of the vein drainage of the thyroid gland. Material & Method: The material came from the corpses of 180 Greek people, 96 male and 84 female, aged of 26-74 years old (mean: 57,4 y.o.). All the individuals had no history of thyroid disease and no surgical intervention in the region of the neck. Except of the gender, the height of the body and the length of the neck were also recorded. The method consisted of: incision from the mental area to the sternum, removal of the platysma muscle, dissection of the sternokleidomastoid muscle and revelation of the thyroid gland, as well as anatomic preparation of thyroid veins. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's extract tests and the nonparametric evaluation x2. Results: The main results were: A] Superior thyroid vein (STV): The STV was evident in all the examined cases. In 154 cases (85.6%) it drained into the internal jugular vein, while in 26 cases (14.4%) a different way of drainage was observed (p<0.05). In the majority of the cases (75%), there were tributaries to the STV from the superior laryngeal vein (133 cases) and the inferior lithoid vein (2 cases) (p<0.05). Regarding its course and anatomical relationships, the basic anatomic model was observed in 169 cases (93.6%) (p<0.05). B] Middle thyroid vein (MTV): The MTV was evident in 178 cases (98.9%). It was not present in two cases (1.1%), bilaterally. In all 178 cases, the MTV drained into the internal jugular vein, and the basic anatomic model, regarding course and relationships was followed (p<0.05). C] Inferior thyroid vein (ITV): The ITV was evident in all the examined cases. In 130 cases (72.2%) it drained into the innominate vein of the same side, while in 50 cases (27.8%) a different way of drainage was observed (p=0.037). In the majority of the cases (157 cases, 87.2%), there were no tributaries to the ITV (p<0.05). Regarding its course and anatomical relationships, the basic anatomic model was observed in 149 cases (82.8%) (p<0.05). In general, there were no statistical significant differences in relation to the gender or the height of the individuals examined. Nevertheless, the majority of the variations were observed in women and individual with low height and low length of neck. Conclusion: We could state that the anatomic variations regarding thyroid vein drainage were quite often. Their knowledge is essential during angiographic examinations, for the interpretation of the results, and during surgery of the thyroid area, in order to avoid any complication.