Surgical Management of Goiter with Intrathoracic Extension at the Philippine General Hospital Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery

Objective: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with intrathoracic thyroid masses managed surgically in our institution, determine associated factors affecting eventual operative approaches for these patients, and assess postoperative outcomes and complications associated with surgical intervention. Methods: Design: Retrospective descriptive case series Setting:Tertiary National University Hospital Participants: 24 patients Results: The mean age of patients diagnosed with intrathoracic goiters was 55.71 years old, with a 1:1.4 male to female ratio; with most having an intrathoracic extent of Huins Grade 1 (67%) compared to others having Huins Grade 2-3. Majority of patients pre-operatively had a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Bethesda Thyroid Nodule Classification of Category II (benign); 79% of total patients underwent excision of thyroid mass utilizing a transcervical approach alone. As Intrathoracic Extension (ITE) grade increased, additional transthoracic approaches were performed;  duration of operation, average estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay was also noted to increase. Majority of post operative surgical histopathology results revealed malignant thyroid masses, in contrast to pre-operative FNA. Post-operative transient hypocalcemia was the most reported immediate complication. Conclusions: Management of intrathoracic goiter is often multidisciplinary. Referral to the thoracic vascular service is warranted for access to the thoracic inlet. Classification by grade of intrathoracic goiters is helpful to determine the most appropriate operative approach and maybe predictive of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Postoperative histopathology across all ITE grades mostly yield malignant results; hence, preoperative FNA results should be used with caution.