"Adam’s Apple" is the colloquial term used to describe what is officially named the laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage. The colloquial name is thought to come from a reference to the forbidden fruit being stuck in Adam’s throat, or perhaps a mistranslation of the Hebrew term for the structure that is described as “the swelling of a man.”[1]   In parts of the American South, it is sometimes referred to as a goozle, playing on the verb "to guzzle."

It is one of the most significant external landmarks in the neck and is very useful for anatomical orientation in procedures such as cricothyroidotomies. It is notably more prominent in men than women, increasing in prominence as a secondary male sex characteristic in puberty, and primarily acts to protect the vocal cords posteriorly.

The thyroid cartilage is the largest of nine cartilages in the larynx. The laryngeal prominence, the Adam’s Apple specifically, is the most visible portion of this structure on the exterior and is where the two halves of cartilage meet. It has important historical, cultural, and interventional implications. It is a secondary sexual characteristic: meaning it appears around the time of puberty and helps distinguish between the sexes, as it is more prominent in men than it is in women. The increase of the laryngeal prominence takes place during puberty and is logically thought to play a role in the voice maturation that also occurs in this period. However, no work has yet been done to prove this relationship decisively, only small reports of cadaver studies.[2]

The classic measurement of the interlaminar angle (ILA) at the level of the vocal processes is 90 degrees in the male population, and 120 in females. The broader angle in women causes it to protrudes less, not push up against the skin of the neck, and ultimately be less visible. In both sexes, regardless of the angle, the primary function of the Adam’s Apple is the same as that of the thyroid cartilage which it comprises, to protect the vocal cords immediately behind it.

As the thyroid cartilage is connective tissue, it is a derivative of the neural crest mesenchyme of the pharyngeal arch. As with the surrounding structures in the larynx, the thyroid cartilage is an embryological derivative of both the fourth and sixth pharyngeal arches.[3]

Throughout maturity, the thyroid cartilage grows in size, descends, and becomes more cylindrical than funnel-shaped. The two lamina fuse anteriorly, except in the superior most portion, which forms the thyroid notch. The laryngeal prominence in childhood is equivalent in males and females, but the Adam’s Apple protrudes with a greater ILA and greater anterior angulation in males as puberty ensues. Male larynges grow to be larger under the influence of different hormone levels. During puberty, calcification of the thyroid cartilage is simultaneously occurring gradually continues throughout puberty and adulthood.[2]

The area surrounding the thyroid cartilage is drained by the superior laryngeal vein superiorly, as it protrudes from the thyrohyoid membrane to join the superior thyroid vein, which empties into the internal jugular vein, coursing cephalad from the level of the cricothyroid membrane.

The arterial supply originates from divisions of the external carotid artery, with the superior laryngeal artery coursing superiorly, and the superior thyroid artery below. The superior laryngeal divides from the superior thyroid artery soon after its origin off of the external carotid, and before it courses inferiorly. The artery travels with the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and pierces the thyrohyoid membrane.

The lymphatic drainage of this area is provided by the superior deep cervical nodes and the pretracheal nodes that drain into the superior deep cervical lymphatic basins. The superior deep cervical chain runs underneath the sternocleidomastoid muscle along with the internal jugular vein and accessory nerve. On the left side, this merges with the thoracic duct and with the brachiocephalic vein (also occasionally with an accessory thoracic duct) on the right.

The laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage is a supportive, protective structure with no distinct, named innervation. However, its location sits in between the internal and external branches of the superior laryngeal nerve, of the vagus (CN X). Superiorly, the internal branch pierces the thyrohyoid membrane to provide sensation to the laryngeal mucosa. Inferiorly, the external branch reaches to innervate the cricothyroid muscle.

Other important nerve structures in this region include the vagus nerve laterally, coursing down inferiorly in the carotid sheath. Also, ansa cervicalis is nearby innervating the overlying strap muscles.