Thyroid ima artery (the artery of Neubauer) — how much do we know?

Blood supply of the thyroid gland was the subject of numerous original studies, case reports and meta-analysies. The number of surgical procedures carried out on the thyroid gland significantly increases during last few decades. The cadaveric report discusses the case of a thryoidea ima artery (TIA) which originated from the brachiocephalic artery before its terminal subdivision, giving off numerous branches to the infrahyoid muscles, trachea and thyroid gland. Based on the current literature we discuss the prevalence of TIA, its embryology, and possible clinical aspects of this variation, with special attention paid to the postoperative complications.