The foramen caecum of the tongue is the remnant of thyroglossal duct located between the anterior two-thirds and posterior third of the tongue.
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Gross anatomy
The foramen caecum is located in the midline on the surface of the tongue, at the apex of the terminal sulcus, the groove that marks the boundary between the anterior two-thirds and posterior third of the tongue 1.
Development
The foramen caecum is the site at which the embryonic thyroid gland begins its development 2. It forms in the third week of gestation in the midline between the first and second pharyngeal arches 2. From here, the thyroid migrates inferiorly over the next six weeks of gestation to arrive at its final location in the anterior neck.
Clinical importance
Occasionally, thyroid tissue can fail to make the migratory journey correctly, resulting in ectopic thyroid tissue being left along the thyroglossal duct anywhere from the foramen caecum to the thyroid bed. Similarly, the thyroglossal duct can occasionally fail to involute completely, resulting in the formation of a thyroglossal duct cyst anywhere along the same path.
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