Mediastinal goiter: a comprehensive study of 60 consecutive cases with special emphasis on identifying predictors of malignancy and sternotomy.

BACKGROUND: We describe the clinical characteristics of patients with mediastinal goiter and our principles in surgical management of this pathology; we also identify the predictive factors of malignancy, sternotomy, and posterior mediastinal extension.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 60 patients with mediastinal goiter who underwent surgical intervention.

RESULTS: Major perioperative complications were recurrent laryngeal nerve sacrifice (3.3%) and vagus nerve sacrifice (1.7%). A total of 12.7% of cases were malignant. The presence of dysphonia increased the likelihood of malignancy (P = .02), and malignancy was associated with a significant increase in sternotomy (P = .04) and nerve sacrifice (P < .001) during surgery. A history of thyroidectomy was a predictive factor for extension of the tumor to the posterior mediastinum (P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS: Presenting with dysphonia is a predictor of malignancy that necessitates careful surgical planning because malignancy is associated with an increase in nerve injury and sternotomy during surgery.