An unusual 'w' shaped thyroid gland with absence of isthmus - a case report

Thyroid gland is one of the largest endocrine glands located in the neck opposite C5-T1 vertebrae. It consists of 2 lobes connected to each other by an isthmus. It depicts a number of congenital anomalies. One such variant was seen in a 55-year-old male cadaver whereby the gland was 'W' shaped in toto with each lobe consisting of medial & lateral limbs. The medial limbs of the 2 lobes united with each other in the midline in the form of an inverted '^' and thus the gland was 'W' shaped. The isthmus as such was absent. It is an extremely rare condition which should be known to the surgeons operating in this area. Its ontogeny, phylogeny & clinical/surgical implications are discussed in detail.