Enormous Goiter in Posterior Mediastinum: Report of 2 Cases and Literature Review

Retrosternal goiters are commonly situated in the anterior mediastinum, but according to the literature, 10-15% are located in the posterior mediastinum. The authors report two cases of enormous goiter in the posterior mediastinum. Case 1 was a 60-year-old man. His mass measured 12 x 9 x 8 cm and was combined with trachea compression and superior vena cava syndrome. Case 2 was a 59-year-old woman. Her mass measured 9 x 6 x 6 cm and she was admitted with the complaint of dysphagia. Both patients were discharged from hospital after successful operations. They reported normal activities in the follow-up. [J Formos Med Assoc 2009; 108(4):337-343]