Case Report: A pyramidal lobe coexisting with a left-sided thyroid goiter displacing trachea and esophagus: A cadaveric finding with clinical implications

Abstract

Background The current report describes a unimodular thyroid goiter (TGo), identified unilaterally in a female cadaver, causing displacement or compression effects in the adjacent neck structures (common carotid artery (CCA) and internal jugular vein (IJV),). Methods Routine dissection of the neck of an 86-year-old female donated a Greek cadaver. Results A thyroid gland variant was identified coexisting with a TGo originating from the left thyroid lobe. The variant is a pyramidal lobe located on the left side of the isthmus. Owing to the presence of the TGo, the left CCA, along with the left IJV, deviated 50.6 mm ipsilaterally from the midline of the neck. The right CCA had a minor deviation of 30.8 mm, from the midline to the right side due to the proximity of the shifted trachea and esophagus with the CCA origin. The trachea and esophagus deviated contralaterally to the TGo, 24.4 mm from the midline. Conclusions CCA compression, stenosis, and angulation may cause dizziness, weakness, and hypomnesia. The potential outcomes were worse with IJV compression. Atherosclerosis tends to occur more often in arteries with inclined (angulated) parts.