Mr. Hoang has had hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid hormone production) for more than two years, and often forgets to take his medicine.

Test results at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City showed that the patient’s thyroid gland was 4-5 times larger than normal, with two lobes measuring about 12-14 cm.

Dr. Vo Tran Nguyen Duy, Department of Endocrinology – Diabetes, said the patient needs surgery to remove part of the thyroid tissue to relieve pressure on the trachea and esophagus.

The patient’s large goiter before surgery.

In a multi-specialty consultation, Dr. Nguyen Anh Dung, Head of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, evaluated the hardened thyroid tissues, which had many proliferating blood vessels, which were prone to complications during surgery such as bleeding,

The surgical team placed a small tube in the subclavian vein and threaded it into the vena cava (central venous catheter) to monitor pressure and administer fluids and medications when needed.

Doctor Dung (left) and the giant goiter surgery team.

After surgery, the patient’s health was stable, he did not lose his voice or hoarseness, he had no difficulty breathing, he no longer choked when eating, was in good health and was discharged from the hospital after three days.

Doctor CKII Truong Thi Vanh Khuyen, Department of Endocrinology – Diabetes, said that goiter is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland (medically called goiter).

A common cause of goiter along with hyperthyroidism is Basedow’s disease – a condition in which the immune system produces too much immunoglobulin, stimulating the thyroid gland, causing thyroid tissue to enlarge, forming a goiter.

Large tumors pressing on the nerves in the neck can cause laryngeal nerve paralysis, difficulty breathing, and difficulty swallowing.

Doctor Khuyen examined Mr. Hoang after goiter surgery.

Doctor Khuyen said that goiter treatment depends on the condition. It can be treated medically with medication or surgically removing part or all of the thyroid gland.

Radioactive iodine treatment, which helps destroy thyroid tissue, is indicated in cases where the goiter does not respond to medical treatment, the patient does not want or cannot have surgery, or the disease recurs after surgery…

Goiter symptoms are easily confused with other diseases.

*Patient’s name has been changed

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