Anatomy of the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands

The anatomy of four major endocrine glands (thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary and adrenal) is the subject of this chapter. Other endocrine glands (such as the hypothalamus, pineal gland, thymus, endocrine pancreas and the gonads) exist, but are beyond the scope of this chapter. A detailed understanding of anatomy is essential for several reasons: to enable accurate diagnosis and plan appropriate management; to perform surgery in a safe and effective manner avoiding damage to adjacent normal structures and; to anticipate and recognize variations in normal anatomy. In addition to gross anatomy, clinically relevant embryological and histological details of these four glands are also discussed.