Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
The aim of the study was to highlight the epidemiology, clinical features and surgical complications of retrosternal goiter. All patients operated for thyroid disease during the period from June 1999 to January 2009 in the Surgical Department of 7th October Hospital, Benghazi-Libya were retrospectively analyzed and age, sex and clinical features were noted. Out of 3614 thyroidectomies performed, 97 patients were found to have retosternal goiter (2.7%). The mean age was 42 yrs (25-80 yrs). 81 (83%) patients were females and (17%) 16 patients were males. (93%) 90 patients were euthyroid, (5%) 5 patients were toxic and (2%) and 2 patients were hypothyroid. About one Seventh of the patients were asymptomatic. Commonly observed symptoms were, shortness of breath, hoarseness, dysphagia, cough and superior vena cava obstruction. In all patients the goiter was resected through cervical incision, except three patients who needed partial sternotomy. Total thyroidectomy was performed in (72%) 70 cases. There were four minor complications and no death. The incidence of retrosternal goiter with respect to thyroidectomy patients is (2.7%). Cervical incision is nearly always adequate. Retrosternal goiter doesn't seem to be associated with increased incidence of post-operative complications.