Relations of thyroid gland

Thyroid Gland The thyroid gland is the only organ in the body to trap iodine with great efficiency and thus radioiodine will localize nearly exclusively to the thyroid and will painlessly and safely destroy the thyroid tissue over a period of several weeks to months. From: The Endocrine System (Second Edition), 2010 Related terms: • Graves' Disease • Thyroiditis • Thyroid Hormone • Tissues • Secretion (Process) • Autoimmune Thyroiditis • Parathyroid Gland • Mouse The human thyroid gland is located at the base of the neck and wraps around the trachea just below the cricoid cartilage ( Figure 3.1). The two large lateral lobes that comprise the bulk of the gland lie on either side of the trachea and are connected by a thin isthmus. A third structure, the pyramidal lobe, which may be a remnant of the embryonic thyroglossal duct, is sometimes also seen as a finger-like projection extending headward from the isthmus. The thyroid gland in the normal human being weighs about 20g but is capable of enormous growth, sometimes achieving a weight of several hundred grams when stimulated intensely over a long period of time. Such enlargement of the thyroid gland, which may be grossly obvious, is called a goiter, and is one of the most common manifestations of thyroid disease. Figure 3.1. Gross anatomy of the thyroid gland. (From Netter, F.H. (1989) Atlas of Human Anatomy, 2 nd Ed. Novartis Summit New Jersey, Icon Learning Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of MediMedia, Inc, Reprinted with perm...