Author Description

The tubercle of Zuckerkandl (TZ) is an important anatomical landmark which aids in the identification of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgeries. This study evaluates the incidence and grading of a recognizable TZ in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. We found that thyroid disease was common among female patients (80%) and less in male (20%). The tubercle of Zuckerkandl was present bilaterally in 36.7% of patients and 56.7% unilaterally. Out of 60 thyroid lobes, TZ has grade 0 in 10 %, grade 1 in 6.7%, grade 2 in 33.3 % and grade 3 in 50%. The recurrent laryngeal nerve passes posterior to TZ in 86.7 % and laterally in 6.7 %. The outcome of this study proves that TZ of thyroid gland is a practical and useful landmark, which should be routinely looked for in thyroid surgery.