A 58-year-old woman with a long-standing multinodular goitre has significant retrosternal extension into the superior mediastinum. Which vessel provides the arterial supply to the intrathoracic portion of the goitre?

• A Internal thoracic artery
• B Inferior thyroid artery ✓
• C Superior thyroid artery
• D Thyroidea ima artery

Explanation

The retrosternal extension of a goitre is supplied by branches of the inferior thyroid artery, because the thyroid gland receives its entire arterial supply from the superior and inferior thyroid arteries regardless of downward extension. This is why a standard collar incision usually suffices for delivery of most retrosternal goitres. The internal thoracic artery supplies the anterior chest wall, not the descended thyroid tissue.

Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.