An experience with retrosternal goiter: analysis of 89 cases

To determine the frequency of retrosternal goiter, clinical presentation and post operative complications among the patients presenting with goiter. It is a prospective, cross sectional study conducted at Department of Surgery, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from January 1997 to December 2008. All patients with goiter were evaluated for retrosternal extension of thyroid, clinical presentation, and post operative complications. Among 978 patients, 89 (9.10%) patients had retrosternal extension of thyroid. Majority of the patients were female (94.51%) and euthyroid (91.02%). Among all the patients, (39.33%) were in the fifth decade. Retrosternal extension of both lobes was found in 83.15% and one lobe in 16.15% patients. Dyspnoea was the commonest complaint by all patients, followed by headache (30.33%) and dysphagia (25.84%). Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was seen in 4.49% patients and 3.37% patients developed hypocalcaemia and wound infection after surgery. Retrosternal extension of thyroid is not uncommon. Surgery can be easily done through cervical approach. (author)