Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011168 (dysphagia)
 15,644 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The literature on substernal goiter from the seventeenth century to the present is reviewed. Substernal goiter may be defined as any thyroid enlargement that has its greater mass inferior to the thoracic inlet. Truly ectopic mediastinal goiters are rare, and most substernal goiters arise from and maintain some attachment to the cervical thyroid gland. Patients are generally in the fifth decade of life, and women predominate. Most patients experience dyspnea, stridor, or dysphagia, but 15 to 50% are asymptomatic; symptoms are often positional, and acute stridor may occur. Ten to twenty percent have no cervical mass or tracheal deviation on examination, and virtually all patients are euthyroid. Standard chest roentgenograms are often diagnostic, but computed tomographic or radioactive iodine scans may be helpful. The presence of a substernal goiter in all but the highest-risk patients is an indication for resection, usually through a cervical collar incision; an occasional patient will require sternotomy or thoracotomy. Death or major complications should be rare postoperatively. Substernal goiters are adenomatous and benign, but carcinoma occurs in 2 to 3% and may be occult. Patients should be followed closely, as these goiters may recur.
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PMID:Substernal goiter. 388 87

Eighty patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital underwent resection of substernal goiter in the years 1976 to 1982. Mean age of the 50 women and 30 men was 56 years, and 10 (19 percent) had undergone prior thyroid surgery. The most common symptoms were cervical mass (69 percent), dysphagia (33 percent), and dyspnea (28 percent); 13 percent were asymptomatic. On examination, cervical mass was present in most (90 percent) but not all patients, 51 percent were obese, and more than one third had tracheal deviation. Fifty-one of 52 patients tested were euthyroid and one was mildly hypothyroid. Chest radiographs showed tracheal deviation in 79 percent and soft tissue mass in 56 percent. Seventy-eight patients underwent resection through a cervical collar incision only; one had cervical incision plus upper partial sternotomy; and one required cervical incision plus full median sternotomy. Pathologic examination revealed multinodular goiter in 41 (51 percent), follicular adenoma in 35 (44 percent), and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 4 (5 percent). Mean goiter weight was 104 g, and the mean greatest dimension was 9 cm. Occult papillary carcinoma was found in two patients. There were no deaths or major complications. Analysis of our data indicate the following: (1) Substernal goiter may exist in the absence of symptoms or signs. (2) Extensive radiologic evaluation and thyroid function testing are rarely required. (3) With rare exceptions, substernal goiter represents an extension of a cervical growth through the thoracic inlet and can be approached through a cervical collar incision. (4) Histologically, these are multinodular goiters or follicular adenomas, although Hashimoto's thyroiditis may occur. (5) Given the small but present risks of acute stridor or occult malignancy and the negligible surgical risk, operation should be recommended. (6) Patients should be followed since, with or without levothyroxine, goiters may recur.
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PMID:Substernal goiter. Analysis of 80 patients from Massachusetts General Hospital. 397 Mar 28

Retrosternal goiter is defined as any goiter in which at least 50 per cent of the thyroid resides below the level of the thoracic inlet. The incidence of retrosternal goiter varies from 3 to 20 per cent with respect to thyroidectomy patients. A retrospective chart review from June 1991 to December 1997 found 232 thyroidectomies performed at our institution. Sixteen patients were found to have retrosternal goiters (6.9%). The mean age was 57.8 years (range, 34-92). All were of benign pathology. Symptoms included shortness of breath (68.8%), hoarseness (37.5%), dysphagia (31.3%), and superior vena cava obstruction (6.25%). Thirteen patients were female (81.3%). Fifteen patients had surgical intervention (93.8%). Total thyroidectomy was performed in nine cases (60%), whereas lobectomy was performed in six cases (40%). All treated patients had complete resolution of symptoms. A cervical incision alone was used in 13 cases (86.7%). Complications consisted of one postoperative pleural effusion and in one case a traumatic C5 nerve root compression occurred. There were no instances of long-term vocal cord paralysis or hypoparathyroidism. There was no perioperative mortality. In the majority of patients with retrosternal goiter, surgery can be done expeditiously through a cervical incision with minimal morbidity and mortality.
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PMID:Retrosternal goiter: a six-year institutional review. 973 21