Weights of Human Thyroids in New York City

Abstract
The weights of 762 normal thyroid glands dissected at autopsies in New York City indicate that the mean adult thyroid weighs 16.7 ± 6.9 g. The thyroid weights are distributed log-normally. These mean values are lower than the values described by other workers or used in standard dose measurements. The data suggest that 1 per cent of New York residents have thyroids that weigh about one-third of the mean. Data are also presented on a series of fetal thyroids in which the weights varied from 20 mg at the third month of gestation to 1.5 ± 0.6 g at full term.