57Anterior Triangle Of The Neck

Front 1

Carotid triangle:
Contents are the carotid sheath that contains

Back 1

-common carotid artery & its branches
-internal jugular vein & its tributaries
-vagus nerve
-external carotid artery & some of its branches
-hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
-roots of ansa cervicalis – there is some disagreement between authors on contents

Front 2

The ___ nerve is the terminal continuation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve & innervates remaining intrinsic muscles of the larynx

Back 2

inferior laryngeal n.

Front 3

In general the superior root of the ansa cervicalis is from branches of the ___ cervical nerves that travel with the ___ nerve for a short distance & then form the superior root

The inferior root is from branches of the ___ cervical nerves

Back 3

-1st & 2nd
-hypoglossal n.
-2nd & 3rd
s. 21

Front 4

Muscular (inferior carotid) triangle:

The ___ in the midline usually drains into the brachiocephalic vein

Sometimes there are two – care must be taken during ___

Back 4

-inferior thyroid vein
-thyroidectomy or trachiostostomy

Front 5

*Care is taken to retain what glands during thyroidectomy? What's their function?

During thyroidectomy, what nerves could be damaged

Back 5

parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy; [regulates blood-Ca2+ levels]

During thyroidectomy, the recurrent laryngeal nerves nerves could be damaged

Front 6

If ___ glands atrophy or are inadvertently removed during surgery, the patient suffers from ___, a severe convulsive disorder that is due to drop in serum calcium levels

Back 6

-parathyroid
-tetany

Front 7

Goiter is a condition in which the ___ becomes enlarged & is endemic in certain parts of the world deficient in ___

There are various types of goiter – one type is ___ goiter due to an excess of thyroid hormone that results in bulging eyeballs

Back 7

-thyroid gland
-iodine
-exophthalmic

Front 8

Tracheostomy, creation of an opening in the ___ for insertion of a tube to relieve upper airway obstruction and facilitate ventilation


Extreme care is required & should only be done preferably in an operating room – this is due to the ___ to the thyroid gland

Back 8

-anterior trachea
-rich vascular supply