[Surgery of substernal goiter].
OBJECTIVE
To study the surgical approaches and operative techniques for substernal goiter.


METHODS
A retrospective study of 27 cases with substernal thyroid nodules was made in our hospital.


RESULTS
The operations on 27 patients with substernal nodules have been successfully carried out. Among them, 10 were goiters, 9 adenomas, 4 malignancy and 4 were thyroid cancer metastasizing to paratracheal or substernal nodes. Resection via cervical collar incision was adequate in 23 cases. Three thyroid cancers with paratracheal node metastasis were completely resected by sternotomy and only one thyroid cancer with paratracheal and substernal nodes metastasis was resected by combined thoracotomy and cervical collar incision.


CONCLUSIONS
Resection via cervical collar incision for all retrosternal thyroid nodules were advised. The preliminary experience with this procedure suggests that it has some advantages in the management of substernal goiter, including: 1. ease of operation compared to both sternotomy and thoracotomy; 2. relatively low morbidity; 3. safe and reliable.
Wu
G
G
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Cancer Centre, Tumor Hospital, Guangzhou 510060, China. wushower@hotmail.com
Song
M
M
Chen
F
F
Zeng
Z
Z
Wu
M
M
Xu
G
G
Guo
Z
Z
Zhang
Q
Q
Yang
A
A
Chen
W
W
Li
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000601:surgery*; D006045:Goiter, Substernal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*