title: Blood supply of the parathyroid gland from the superior thyroid artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is considerable controversy about the arterial supply to the superior parathyroid glands. Knowledge of this blood supply should be important for the surgeon performing thyroid and parathyroid operations. The purpose of this investigation was to document whether the superior parathyroid glands receive their blood supply from the superior thyroid artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We injected contrast material into the superior thyroid artery in 52 cadavers and determined the arterial blood supply to the parathyroid glands by using a dissecting microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The upper parathyroid gland was identified in 51 instances and the upper and lower glands in 26 instances on the side of injection. Of 92 parathyroid glands identified, 57 glands (62%) had a single artery, 26 (28%) had two, and 9 (10%) had three or more arteries. In 9 (45%) of the 20 cases specifically examined, a distinct anastomosing branch was identified between the inferior and the superior thyroid arteries, from which the upper parathyroid artery arose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study documented that the superior thyroid artery almost always supplies the upper parathyroid glands. Forty-five percent of the subjects had a distinct anastomosing branch between the superior and inferior thyroid arteries, which should be kept intact at operation to preserve the upper parathyroid function. One third of the parathyroid glands have two or more parathyroid arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nobori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saiki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harihara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shindo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002102:Cadaver; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000098:blood supply*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000098:blood supply*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media