n :  any of several small veins draining blood from the thyroid gland and nearby structures in the front of the neck:  a  :  a vein on each side that drains the upper part of the thyroid and empties into the internal jugular vein - called also superior thyroid vein   b  :  a vein on each side that drains the lateral part of the thyroid and empties into the internal jugular vein - called also middle thyroid vein   c  :  any of two to four veins on each side that drain the thyroid gland and unite to empty into the brachiocephalic vein on the same side or that unite with the veins on the opposite side to form a common trunk emptying into the left brachiocephalic vein - called also inferior thyroid vein  .
 
 
 
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