title: Airway obstruction due to goiter in older patients.
abstract: It has been shown that goiters can progressively enlarge to compress the surrounding trachea or esophagus and result in incapacitating obstructive symptoms or potentially fatal airway obstruction. The potential of a goiter to become hyperactive also exists. Recently, we have seen three older patients with longstanding untreated "benign" goiters who presented difficult management decisions. Given the likelihood of progressive growth of a goiter and the increased life expectancy of these patients with goiters, it is essential to perform flow-volume loop studies while following these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zorrilla
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freedman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male