[Intrathoracic goiter. Apropos of 36 cases]

This article is concerned with 36 cases of plunging goiters responding to Eschapasse and Merlier definition. The frequency of plunging goiters is 5.2%, women are predominating with 96% and the average of age is 45 years. In 34%, these goiters gave rise to fow symptoms, while there was mediastinal complication in the others cases. Paraclinic investigations are limited to a face and profile pulmonary roentgenographies, and scintigraphy of the thyroid. In the treatment, cervicotomy proved to the completely satisfactory to removal of all the goiters and there were no need to sternotomy or thoracotomy. The pathology revealed two malignant tumors. Post operative evolution was uneventful except one death in the 10th post operative day by pulmonary emboli.