title: The impact of goitre and its treatment on the trachea, airflow, oesophagus and swallowing function. A systematic review.
abstract: In this systematic review, we investigated the effects of goitre and its treatment on the trachea and the oesophagus. A total of 6355 papers were screened in scientific databases, which disclosed 40 original studies (nine descriptive and 31 interventional). Although most studies are hampered by a number of methodological shortcomings, it is uncontested that goitre affects the trachea as well as the oesophagus in a large proportion of people. This leads to upper airway obstruction, swallowing dysfunction, or both, which may remain undisclosed unless specifically investigated for. Assessment of the tracheal dimensions should be done by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, and detection of upper airway obstruction by flow volume loops, with focus on the inspiratory component. A clinical evaluation of the oesophageal function is difficult to implement and could be replaced by available and validated questionnaires on swallowing. Although radioiodine therapy and thyroidectomy relieve the negative effect of goitre on the trachea and the oesophagus, many issues remain unexplored.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT Head & Neck Surgery. Electronic address: jesper.roed.sorensen@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Jesper Roed
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Electronic address: laszlo.hegedus@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hegedüs
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000 Odense C, Denmark. Electronic address: soeren.kruse-andersen@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kruse-Andersen
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT Head & Neck Surgery. Electronic address: christian.godballe@rsyd.dk.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godballe
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Electronic address: steen.bonnema@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Steen Joop
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bonnema
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology*; D006042:Goiter / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D014132:Trachea / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: goitre; oesophagus; radioiodine; swallowing; thyroidectomy; trachea; upper airway obstruction