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Substernal goiter is a rare presentation of goiter but relatively frequent cause of anterior mediastinal mass. Symptomatic patients should be treated surgically with a total or partial thyroidectomy via a cervical or thoracic approach. This case report of a woman with a large symptomatic substernal goiter illustrates how the option to perform a partial median sternotomy may be useful when attempting a cervical approach. This allows for better visualization and resection of large masses and minimizes the risk of complications such as recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Furthermore, it reinforces that cases of substernal goiter should be treated at specialized centers in order to minimize complications and reach better patient outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Ferreira et al.)

Substernal goiter represents a common and challenging clinical scenario in medical practice. Symptoms often include dysphagia, dyspnea, and hoarseness, deeming the vascular compressive symptoms an unusual finding. In extraordinarily rare cases, its slow and gradual growth determines the emergence of severe superior vena cava syndrome, with consequent development of upper esophageal downhill varices. In contrast with distal esophageal varices, downhill variceal hemorrhage is extremely rare. The authors report a patient admitted to the emergency room due to upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, caused by downhill upper esophageal varices' rupture, secondary to compressive substernal goiter. In this case, irregular follow-up resulted in massive thyroid growth, progressive vascular and airway compression, and the development of venous collateral pathways. Despite the severity of those compressive symptoms, the patient was not a surgical candidate considering her multiple cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities. Newly developed thyroid ablative techniques may emerge as a possible life-saving treatment when the surgical approach cannot be considered., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Guia Lopes et al.)

Substernal goiter is overall an uncommon disease. Obstructive symptoms can occasionally develop in older patients with a longstanding history of goiter. Here, we describe a rare case of pulmonary embolism presenting as a complication of benign substernal goiter in a young patient without preceding recognized thyroid disease. After three separate biopsies, surgical resection was eventually performed, with pathology confirming the diagnosis of multinodular thyroid with cystic changes. Four months after the surgery, a CT angiogram of the chest was performed, which showed resolution of bilateral pulmonary emboli., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Liu et al.)

Substernal goiter is usually presented in elderly patients and is mostly asymptomatic. A large substernal goiter is surgically challenging and can be managed through a transcervical incision and sternotomy. This case report is about a large substernal goiter extending into the anterior mediastinum and causing superior vena cava syndrome that was resected via a transcervical and full sternotomy approach. The patient was a 47-year-old male, who visited our hospital for surgical treatment of substernal goiter. The computed tomography (CT) of the neck and thorax revealed a large substernal goiter extending into the mediastinum causing tracheal compression, vessel compression, and development of collateral vessels. Total thyroidectomy was performed via a full sternotomy and transcervical approaches. Postoperatively, the patient recovered well with no nerve palsy. Histopathological examination revealed the lesion as an adenomatous goiter. Substernal goiters are usually managed by transcervical approach, but a full sternotomy is required in cases of large substernal goiter with extension up to the pericardium and the presence of superior vena cava syndrome. A multidisciplinary team approach is necessary and can help reduce the risk of complications, such as nerve injury, major vessel injury, tracheal injury, and morbidity of the surgery., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Sandasecra et al.)

Since substernal goiter first being described by Haller in 1749, a consensus on the definition of this entity has not been ensured, yet. Despite substernal goiter or retrosternal goiter is delineated as an enlarged thyroid gland with a component extending into the mediastinum, at least 10 definitions have described being able to depict the most accurate definition for substernal goiter. Of note, no consensus still has been declared on the therapeutic management of asymptomatic substernal goiter. It should be pointed out that, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES), Guidelines for the Definitive Surgical Management of Thyroid Disease in Adults reported approximately 9% to 13% of substernal goiters are being harbored thyroid malignancy. The following vignette case describes the clinical features of a symptomatic substernal goiter with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, her treatment by sutureless total thyroidectomy with intermittent-intraoperative neural monitoring (I-IONM), and the energy-based device without sternotomy, and the response of an adult who presented with a family history of malignant histopathology, differentiated thyroid carcinoma, which was exposed to the postoperative radioactive iodine ablation. We may recommend dividing the branches of superior thyroid arteries and the superior thyroid veins individually and exploring the fibrous Ligament of Berry, the true Ligament of Berry, with its safe interrelation to the inferior laryngeal nerve, finically, which may be regarded as different peas in a pod in a complete sutureless thyroidectomy for substernal goiter with thyroiditis in thyroidology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Sengul et al.)

Substernal goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland, harboring a component extending into the mediastinum. Surgical management requires genuine and rigorous preoperative planning as physicians could encounter the prospect of the gland coming into close quarters with the vital intrathoracic structures. The neck and chest multiplanar cross-sectional imaging provide essentialness of an extracervical approach for the procedure. In the present study, a 57-year-old female who admitted with the intermittent dyspnea and dysphagia with a huge goiter is reported. The labs were reported within the normal limits and the video laryngoscopy displayed no pathologic finding. Her neck sonography revealed the multiple nodules within the gland, without determining the most proximal border of the left lobe. The neck and chest computed tomography depicted a substernal goiter harboring the left lobe, extending till the left innominate vein and a sutureless total thyroidectomy by the collar incision without a median sternotomy was performed. We would recommend sutureless thyroidectomy for substernal goiter just considering to divide meticulously the superior thyroid arteries and veins separately and exploring the fibrous Ligament of Berry, that is, the true Ligament of Berry, with its safe relationship to the recurrent laryngeal nerve in Thyroidology., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Aydin et al.)