This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Thyroid (congenital anomalies)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The embryological line of descent of the thyroid gland, from the region of the foramen caecum of the tongue to its normal position in the neck, may be the site of fistula or cyst formation.

On rare occasions the thyroid fails to descend properly into the neck and such a patient may present with a lump in the foramen caecum - lingual thyroid - or at the front of the neck near the body of the thyroid bone. Such a swelling may not be suspected as being thyroid and if this is removed then the patient may have no other functioning thyroid tissue. In all cases of unexplained nodules in the line of thyroid descent, a radio-iodine scan should be performed to ensure that there is normal thyroid tissue in the correct place before the lump is removed.

Occasionally the thyroid descends beyond its normal station into the superior mediastinum - a retrosternal thyroid.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.