A giant toxic multinodular goiter extending into the retropharyngeal space: A case report

INTRODUCTION: In areas with iodine deficiency, multinodular goiter is a prevalent cause of hyperthyroidism. If left untreated, it can grow until it is noticeably huge in size. Although it is a rare clinical phenomenon, thyroid swelling extending into the retro-pharyngeal space presents a substantial difficulty for the surgeon. In this article, we report a giant thyroid mass that had extended to the retro-pharyngeal space and how it posed a challenge during surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: Female, 30-year-old, presented with a huge goiter of 15 years duration which extended to retro-visceral space and completely encircled them without extension to retro-sternal space. After the patient was rendered euthyroid with propylthiouracil (PTU), the thyroid mass was removed surgically. Postoperatively, the patient developed only a transient, asymptomatic hypocalcemia, as a complication. DISCUSSION: If a goiter is large enough, it can grow inferiorly into the mediastinum and outside the typical boundaries of the thyroid bed. However, they rarely grow into the retro-pharyngeal space and present a management issue. The management of this patient was also more complicated as the goiter grew enormous and giant, particularly when it came to controlling the airway and surgically removing the tumor. CONCLUSION: A preoperative CT scan is an important part of diagnostic studies for a giant goiter to diagnose extrathyroidal bed extension. Total or near-total thyroidectomy through a large cervical incision is the mainstay of treatment for such patients to relieve compression symptoms and treat associated hyperthyroidism.