Doctors from the Da Nang Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Da Nang General Hospital have just successfully operated on a giant goiter hanging down into the mediastinum through the neck for a female patient, 51, residing in Hai Chau District, Da Nang.

She has suffered a goiter for 10 year. About a year ago, the patient had difficulty swallowing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing when lying down, so he went to the doctor and was admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Da Nang General Hospital for treatment.

Through clinical examination, the doctor discovered a tumor in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. At the same time, on the chest X-ray, there was a tumor in the upper mediastinum compressing the thoracic trachea. Considering the possibility that this was a large goiter hanging down into the mediastinum, the doctor from the municipal Department of Thoracic Surgery ordered a CT scan of the chest with intravenous contrast to examine the patient's lesions.

The results of a follow-up scan showed a large right lobe goiter hanging down into the mediastinum, measuring 5x15cm. The lower part of the tumor was located in the posterior mediastinum, reaching the patient's aorta. The tumor pushed down 50% of the tracheal diameter. The patient was assigned to undergo surgery to remove the right lobe of the thyroid gland containing this tumor.

The surgery lasted 2.5 hours and the doctors finally removed the tumor from the patient's chest through an incision in the neck without cutting the sternum. At the same time, it preserves the nerves that control the voice and parathyroid glands and prevents bleeding during and after surgery.

The patient’s health was stable and had a clear voice after surgery and has been discharged from the hospital.

According to doctor Than Trong Vu, the Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Da Nang General Hospital, mediastinal goiter accounts for 1-20% of thyroid surgery cases and the most common age group is 50-60 years old. Women get the disease 4 times more often than men.

In cases of large mediastinal goiter located deep in the chest, sometimes it is necessary to use a sternum saw incision or assisted thoracoscopy combined with a transverse neck opening to resolve the problem. Due to the difficult and complex nature of the goiter, the risk of bleeding during surgery and damage to the nerves that control the voice in patients with pendulous goiter is very high.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG - Translating by A.THU