What is Substernal Goiter?

Substernal goiter is the medical equivalent of the internal goiter known among the people. It is the progression of the mass inside by the excessive enlargement of the thyroid gland. This discomfort, which is called internal goiter or substernal goiter, is a case that grows secretly and unnoticed, and as a result, it occurs suddenly. Therefore, tumor sizes can be quite large.

The tumorous mass, which settles in the neck and starts to grow there, shows a stroke in the inner parts down the esophagus over time. In people with short necks, it cannot find a place to grow and goes down to the chest, in people with a long neck, it settles between the neck and the chest and continues to grow there. There is no palpable mass or cyst because it grows inwards. Its inner growth can only be seen with ultrasound. One of the most basic complaints of the patient is swallowing problems. The patient who comes with this complaint is examined by hand. If nothing is found, an ultrasound examination is performed. The internal goiter seen after the ultrasound examination should be removed as soon as possible. Because there is no other treatment option other than surgical intervention.

Substernal goiter is surgically removed from the region in which it is detected. For this reason, a 2 cm incision is made in the neck of Substernal goiter descending to the neck, and a 4-5 cm incision is made between the neck of the patient and the thorax in a substernal goiter descending into the chest cavity. Drug treatment does not affect this type of goiter. However, we have physicians who use drugs until the operation period in order to calm the tumor before the operation. Radioactive iodine treatment can be given after all the tumor tissue is surgically removed. Thus, the drying and burning process is carried out in order for the tissues that have spread to the inner cells of the patient to recover themselves.

Substernal goiter is a very rare type of goiter in our country. It is usually found in the neck part and in a very small amount, it is treated by opening the chest with an incision and cleaning the inside. A strict follow-up is required after surgical intervention so that nodules do not recur. Because the formation of a new tumor nodule repeats substernal goiter. Although cancerous tissues that dry up after radioactive iodine treatment do not recur, it is a type of disease that requires regular control.