학술논문
Acute respiratory failure caused by neglected giant substernal nontoxic goiter
Document Type
report
Author
Source
Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia & Metabologia. April 2011 55(3)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0004-2730
Abstract
Substernal goiter is usually defined as a goiter in which the thyroid mass has descended the plane of the thoracic inlet or if more than 50% of the thyroid mass is located below the thoracic inlet. Substernal goiters may be asymptomatic or may present with symptoms caused by compression of adjacent organs. Acute respiratory failure is rare in cases of substernal goiter. In cases of symptomatic substernal goiter the treatment is surgical by thyroidectomy. We present a rare case of a giant substernal nontoxic goiter which caused acute respiratory failure which was treated by urgent thyroidectomy through a T-incision.