title: Acute airway obstruction in the puerperium secondary to massive thyroid enlargement.
abstract: Pregnancy is known to be thyrogenic and may exacerbate features of thyroid disease. We report the case of a patient whose pregnancy was complicated by respiratory symptoms following remarkable increase in size of a pre-existing goitre. She declined surgery during the pregnancy and it was rescheduled for after the puerperium. A week postpartum she developed acute airway obstruction which necessitated urgent thyroidectomy and management of tracheomalacia with a tracheostomy postoperatively. The effect of pregnancy on the course of her disease and the anaesthetic challenges in the face of limited airway equipment are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria. chinweok@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Okeke
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Merah
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Atoyebi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adesida
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery