[The report of 2 cases of thyroid cancer with intratracheal growth]

From 1961-1987, 28 patients were operated upon for tracheal tumor, including 2 cases of thyroid cancer with intratracheal growth. Operative findings showed that in these cases a small intraluminal cancer mass and large extraluminal cancer mass were fixed together. Intratracheal growth was secondary to extratracheal thyroid cancer. Evidence of cancer from aberrant intratracheal thyroid tissues was not found. Differential diagnosis of tracheal tumor from thyroid cancer with intratracheal growth is difficult. Palliative resection with post-operative irradiation was used in these two cases because of the generally poor condition of the patients.