An unusual recurrent intrathoracic goiter: Case report

Most intrathoracic goiters are located in the anterior mediastinum, frontal to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and anterolateral to the trachea. Posterior mediastinal goiters account for only 10 to 15% of all intrathoracic goiters and arise from the posterolateral portion of the thyroid gland. We present a case involving a 59-year-old man with history of gradual-onset dyspnea who was referred to us for evaluation of a large mediastinal mass. He had undergone bilateral thyroid lobectomy for a cervical goiter 10 years previously, with no subsequent complications. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated a large, well-circumscribed mass extending paratracheally from the thoracic inlet to the posterior mediastinum. The mass was removed via a transcervical and transthoracic approach.