[Intra-thoracic goiter: analysis of the Department's experience]

A review of all clinical files with pre-operative diagnosis of intra-thoracic goiter operated in our Department from 2001-2009 was made. We identified 30 patients, of which 66% were females. 63% of the patients were asymptomatic, 46% had clinical or radiological findings of mediastinal structures compression and 2 patients were ventilated prior to surgery. 50% of the patients were operated on through an inferior transverse cervicotomy, the remaining were operated on through partial or complete sternotomy, with cervical approach. 6,6% of patients (n=2) had an intra-operative diagnosis of invasive thymoma, 3,3% (n=1) had a very invasive mediastinal tumor and 3,3% (n=1) had an ectopic thyroid. Average surgical length of time was of 83 minutes. In 10% of patients (n=3) post-operative invasive ventilation was required, one of which for unilateral permanent lesion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. In the long term follow-up we assessed 18 patients. The median follow up was 53 months. One patient died at the 15th post-operatory day of pneumonia, one expired at the 30th day for anaplasic thyroid carcinoma progression and one died at the 18 month from invasive thymoma progression. One patient currently reveals evidence of local recurrence 3 patients are currently taking levothyroxine and one is taking propiltiouracil. Pathological studies revealed that 66% of cases were multinodular goiter and neoplasia was present in 13% of the patients. Other results were thymic pathology in 13% of cases (n=4), parathyroid cyst in 3,3% (n=1), and ectopic thyroid in 3,3% (n=1(.