The thyroid gland in works of famous old anatomists and great artists.
BACKGROUND
The thyroid gland has always been known, but its function was unclear for a long time. It has been thought to be a part of the larynx, protection of the larynx, a lubricant gland, an esthetic organ, and a buffer preventing quick afflux of blood into the head. The aim of this work is to bring out the thyroid gland in works of famous old anatomists and great artists, without valorization of its precisions and exactitudes.


METHODS
The works of old anatomists and great artists are analyzed.


RESULTS
There are presentations in works of anatomists such as: Rhazes, Avicenna, Mansur, Arderne, da Vinci, Vesalius, Casseri, Bidloo, Cowper, Morgagni, Haller, Gautier d'Agoty, Monro, Mascagni, Bell, Scarpa, Cloquet, Bourgery, etc. Also, there are artistic works with accentuation of thyroid gland, such as the works of: da Vinci, Botticelli, Dürer, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Manet, etc.


CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid gland has been rarely presented in the works of old anatomists. Working as illustrators of anatomy, these great artists have had an invaluable importance for the development of anatomic knowledge, and some of their works are a subject of examination even in our time.
Ignjatović
Mile
M
Surgical Clinic, Nikola Spasić, University Medical Center Zvezdara, Dimitrija Tucovića Street 161, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. mileign@sezampro.rs
D000716:Anatomy, Artistic / Q000266:history*; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008488:Medical Illustration / Q000266:history*; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*