A surgical challenge: resection of giant follicular thyroid carcinoma in a 92-year-old woman. Case report and considerations on thyroid surgery in geriatric population

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the clinical features and the diagnostic and surgical management of a 92-year-old patient with giant goiter. She was admitted to our Emergency Department for evaluation of a cervical mass increased in volume over the past five years. She complained of mild dyspnea pressure symptoms in the neck. Neck and mediastinal noncontrast computed tomography showed a huge goiter with a clear prominent right thyroid lobe, with external compression of the trachea. Consequently, she underwent a right thyroid lobectomy. Patient followed up closely; she is asymptomatic with no evidence of recurrence on RAI scan at the end of six months follow-up. In conclusion, the treatment choice for elderly patients with FTC should be based on medical assessments; in these patients, especially those with larger goiter and compressive symptoms, surgery is the first choice.