An incidental finding of the accessory inferior thyroid artery

Inferior thyroid artery is one of the main arteries supplying thyroid gland and laryngeal muscles. It also supplies pharynx, esophagus, trachea and thymus. It emerges from the thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery at the level of C6 vertebra. Then, it rapidly curves inferomedially, crossing the bundle of common carotid artery, internal jugular vein and vagus nerve. Further, it continues to lower pole of the thyroid gland, crossing the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The main branches of inferior thyroid artery are inferior laryngeal artery, supplying mainly laryngeal musculature; glandular branches, supplying thyroid gland; and branches entering pharynx, esophagus, trachea and thymus. The knowledge of the anatomy of the inferior thyroid artery is important for neck surgeons, mainly during operations on thyroid and parathyroid glands [1,2].