Successful combined surgical approach in a rare case of retrotracheal goitre in a patient with anatomical impediments

Diving goitres can descend the cervical region expanding directly into the thoracic cavity. In most cases, diving goitres extend into the anterosuperior compartment, but they may also extend behind the trachea. We herein present a case of a male patient with retrotracheal goitre and history of left thyroid lobectomy and median sternotomy for thoracic aortic aneurysm repair with graft placement. After detailed preoperative evaluation, the patient underwent surgical resection of the mass through a combined approach; the existing cervical incision and a right posterolateral mini-thoracotomy. The postoperative course of the patient was uncomplicated. One year after surgery, the patient is asymptomatic and disease-free. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 166–169

Unique presentation of a giant mediastinal tumor as kyphosis: A case report

Introduction. Although posture distortion is a common problem in elderly patients, spinal deformity caused by a thymoma has not been previously reported. Thymomas are slowly growing tumors that predominantly cause respiratory symptoms. Case presentation. We report the case of an 83-year-old woman who was admitted with a giant mediastinal mass that had caused progressive spinal distortion and weight loss to our department. The clinical and laboratory investigations that followed revealed one of the largest thymomas ever reported in the medical literature, presenting as a mass lesion placed at the left hemithorax. She underwent complete surgical excision of the tumor via a median sternotomy. Two years after the operation, she showed significant improvement in her posture, no pulmonary discomfort, and a gain of 20 kg; she remains disease free based on radiographic investigations. Conclusions: In this case, a chronic asymmetric load on the spine resulted in an abnormal vertebral curvature deformity that presented as kyphosis. © 2012 Spartalis et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Cardiopulmonary bypass assisted resection of mediastinal masses

We report a recurrent solitary fibrous tumor of the mediastinum that was encircling the right pulmonary artery. The resection of the tumor with the involved right pulmonary artery segment and sequential graft reconstruction of the vessel was facilitated by the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. We review the indications, management, and outcomes of cardiopulmonary bypass for the resection of mediastinal masses. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc