Zuckerkandl Tubercle -

Surgeons often use Pelizzo’s classification to grade the tubercle by size: Grade 0/I: Less than 0.5 cm. Grade II: Between 0.5 and 1 cm.

Next time you look at a neck CT or scrub a thyroid case, look for the little bump on the back of the thyroid. Find the Zuckerkandl tubercle, and you’ll find the nerves that keep the patient talking. zuckerkandl tubercle

It marks the point of fusion between the ultimobranchial body (from the fourth pharyngeal pouch) and the median thyroid process. Surgeons often use Pelizzo’s classification to grade the

The RLN is the nerve that controls your vocal cords. Damaging it during thyroid surgery leads to hoarseness or loss of voice. Because the tubercle projects posteriorly, the RLN almost always loops medial to it or runs directly in a groove on its surface. Find the Zuckerkandl tubercle, and you’ll find the

The Zuckerkandl tubercle is found in roughly of the population. It is generally more prominent and frequently identified on the right side of the thyroid gland compared to the left.