Shape, measurements and weight of the thyroid gland in northwest Indians

The shape of the thyroid gland, its extension as the pyramidal lobe (PL) and attachments of the levator glandulae thyroideae (LGT) were studied in 410 male and 160 female adults from the Chandigarh zone in northwest India during medicolegal autopsies performed in the department. Whereas the measurements of the gland were recorded in 210 subjects, the weights were taken only in 160 instances. The shapes of the glands were: lateral lobes (LL) with isthmus (50.2%), horseshoe-shaped gland (36.8%), gland with separate lobes (7.9%) and irregularly shaped gland (5.1%). No sexual dimorphism was seen in the incidence of various shapes of the gland. The incidence of the PL and LGT was 28.9% and 19.5%, respectively. Neither a PL nor LGT was present in irregularly shaped glands. The mean weight of the gland was 15.01+/-7.69 g in males and 13.16+/-5.64 g in females. Sexual and age-wise differences in weights were found to be statistically insignificant. A survey involving 152 subjects in 2 villages in Chandigarh showed that it is an iodine sufficient zone. The size and weight of thyroid glands in adults of the two genders were found to be smaller than in western Caucasian and Japanese subjects.