AB 61. Resection of a giant bilateral retrovascular intrathoracic goiter causing severe upper airway obstruction, 2 years after subtotal thyroidectomy a case report and review of the literature
Background: The intrathoracic (substernal) goiter (1-15% of all thyroidectomies) is usually benign; but it can be malignant in 3-17%. There is history of thyroid surgery in 13-30% of patients. Intrathoracic goiters cause adjacent structure compression more frequently than the cervical goiters, due to the limited space of the thoracic cage. Compression of trachea, oesophagus, vascular and neural structures may cause dyspnoea, dysphagia, superior vena cava syndrome, subclavian vein thrombosis, dysphonia, and Horner’s syndrome. There is usually progressive deterioration, but acute exacerbation may occur. We present successful surgical management of a gigantic benign intrathoracic goiter, causing severe respiratory distress.
Patients and methods: A 63 year old male with history of subtotal thyroidectomy 2 years ago, presented with progressively increasing dyspnoea and inspiratory stridor. A large cervical, and prespinal superior and posterior mediastinal mass was revealed on computed tomography. Two retrovascular, pre- para- and retro-tracheal lobes were displacing the aortic arch, the anonymous vein, and the trachea, descending to the carina, severely compressing the trachea at the level of the aortic arch. Two lobes [maximum length: 12 cm (right), 14 cm (left), total weight: 290 gr] were resected en block through a cervical collar incision and a median sternotomy. Histology revealed multinodular goiter without malignancy.
Results: The operation and the postoperative course were uneventful, without: bleeding, infection, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, cardiorespiratory, endocrine, or wound complications. Airway stenosis was immediately relieved, although a minor degree of stenosis, attributed to tracheomalakia due to chronic compression, remained. No intervention was required, and improvement was noted at follow-up.
Conclusions: Thoracic goiter (>50% of the mass below the thoracic inlet) is per se an indication for resection. Tracheal compression by (cervical or thoracic) goiter is also an indication for resection; early tracheal decompression is recommended particularly in symptomatic patients. In severe respiratory distress, intubation and semi-urgent operation may be required. With early intervention, most intrathoracic goiters (91-99%) can be removed through a cervical approach, while tracheomalakia is avoided. Re-operation and resection of a goiter descending to the carina, adjacent to the aortic arch, the descending aorta and the thoracic spine required a median sternotomy that was not associated with morbidity.
