The anatomy of the human thyroid veins and its surgical application

The present study was motivated by the importance of the thyroid veins in surgery in the anterolateral cervical region, particularly in tracheostomies, the need for information on modern diagnostic imaging techniques and the lack of specific publications on the subject. The research was performed on 30 adult human specimens by means of dissection and measurement. The superior thyroid vein was constant, single on both sides (83.3%), with its termination (87.1%) at the internal jugular vein (97.2%), either isolated (29.4%) or with other veins, mostly the lingual vein (52.1%), and was located between 1.0 and 2.5 cm below a plane that passes the upper margin of the hyoid bone. The medial thyroid vein, when present, was not constant (43.3%), was single (96.1%), terminated in the internal jugular vein and was located between 2.0 and 4.0 cm from the mid-sagittal line (84.6%). The inferior thyroid vein was constant (96.7%) and varied in number, with one (62.1%), two (27.6%) or even five occurring, and was formed by the confluence of two primary branches (78.6%) as a result of the abundance of anastomoses coming from the lower and medial parts of the gland. The number of terminations corresponded to the number of veins, at the level of the 5th to 8th rings in 36.9%, of the 9th to 10th rings in 34.8% and of the 11th to 14th rings in 28.3%, and occurred in the right brachiocephalic vein (26.1%), in the left brachiocephalic vein (60.9%) or in both veins (13.0%)

Avaliação vestibular por videonistagmografia de portadores de deficiência crônica de zinco por síndrome do intestino curto Vestibular evaluation using videonystagmography of chronic zinc deficient patients due to short bowell syndrome

A presença do elemento químico zinco na via auditiva e a sua provável participação na gênese de alguns tipos de disacusia estão bem documentadas, porém não há estudos funcionais que mostrem os impacto da deficiência sistêmica de zinco no sistema vestibular, nem estudos anatômicos descritivos comprovando a existência do íon nas estruturas da via vestibular. OBJETIVO: Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de relacionar a alteração na homeostase do zinco com anormalidades do funcionamento da via vestibular. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Este é um estudo de casos, retrospectivo, clínico, onde nove indivíduos portadores de deficiência crônica de zinco, entre outros distúrbios nutricionais, consequentes à síndrome de má absorção, foram submetidos à avaliação vestibular. Os resultados deste grupo foram comparados com os resultados de um grupo considerado normal do ponto de vista nutricional (grupo controle). RESULTADOS: Todos os parâmetros da análise vestibular do grupo experimental mostraram-se alterados em comparação com o grupo controle. CONCLUSÃO: A comparação entre os grupos mostrou diferenças significativas em diversos parâmetros da análise vestibular e chamou a atenção para uma possível participação das alterações disabsortivas na origem das desordens vestibulares.<br>The presence of zinc in the auditory pathways and its probable participation in tinnitus and hearing loss are known facts, although there are no clinical trials and experimental studies showing the impact of hypozincemia in the vestibular system and zinc existence in the vestibular pathway, respectively. AIM: This study is an attempt to correlate hypozincemia and abnormal vestibular function. METHODS: This is a clinical retrospective case study where nine patients suffering of chronic zinc deficiency had their serum zinc determined and were submitted to videonystagmography. Results were compared to a normal (control) group. RESULTS: All vestibular test parameters were altered when we compared experimental and control groups. CONCLUSION: Comparison between groups shows significant differences in many aspects of the vestibular analysis and calls our attention towards a possible participation of zinc on the genesis of vestibular disorders