Giant intrathoracic goitre: a case report

Introduction Goitre, an enlargement of the thyroid gland, is a common endocrine abnormality. Goitres can result from biosynthetic defects, iodine deficiency, autoimmune disease or nodular diseases. If left untreated, they can compress the trachea or oesophagus and cause clinical symptoms such as dyspnea or dysphagia. We present a case of a giant intrathoracic goitre. Case report A 68-year-old woman presented a slowly growing mediastinal mass for three years. The huge mass was surgically removed without complications, proven pathologically an intrathoracic goitre. The possible optimal surgical approach for this kind of huge mass and postoperative medical treatment were discussed. Conclusion Given that most intrathoracic goitres arise from and maintain some attachment to the cervical thyroid gland and most of its blood supply would originate from the neck, the optimal surgical approach should start with a cervical approach to reduce the possibility of uncontrollable bleeding.