Profile of Compressive Goiters

Introduction: Goiter is a localized or diffuse hypertrophy of the thyroid gland. During its evolution, this hypertrophy can lead to compression of neighboring organs, a condition known as compressive goiter. This is a rare entity in thyroid pathology, and few studies have been carried out. Many studies have been carried out on thyroid pathologies in general, but few have focused on compressive goiter. This study aimed to outline the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary profile of compressive goiters. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study from January 2012 to December 2021 of all patients diagnosed and operated on for compressive goiter in the ENT department of FANN. The parameters studied were age, sex, family history of goiter, signs of compression, type of thyroidectomy, histology, and postoperative course. Results: We identified 65 patients with compressive goiter. The sex ratio was 0.12 (m/f). A family history of goiter was found in 23.07% of cases. A cervicothoracic CT scan was performed in 26.15% of cases. Total thyroidectomy was performed in all our patients, and we noted 18.47% complications during post-operative follow-up. Anatomopathological data showed a benign goiter in 70.48% of our series. Conclusion: Compressive goiter is a rare thyroid disease that can be life-threatening because of compression. Total thyroidectomy remains the treatment of choice.