Goiter: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate goiter (goiter):

  • Enlargement of the thyroid gland, possibly with the following complications:
    • Dysphagia (dysphagia).
    • Stridor (whistling breathing sound) or dyspnea (shortness of breath) – due to constriction of the trachea.
    • Tracheomalacia (synonym: saber sheath trachea; disease characterized by slackening of the trachea).
    • Upper influence congestion (OES) – congestion of the veins of the head and upper limbs due to compression of the vena cavae.
    • Recurrent paresis* * – paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
    • Horner symptomatology* * (Horner syndrome) – Horner triad consisting of: Pupillary constriction (miosis), drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis) and an apparently sunken eyeball (pseudoenophthalmos).
    • Cardiac hypertrophy (heart enlargement; also called: goiter heart) – due to impaired blood circulation in the thorax (chest).
    • Pemberton’s sign – fainting spells with swelling of the face and upper influence congestion of the external jugular veins (jugular vein; jugular vein), which occurs when lifting the arms.

* Retrosternal (localized behind the sternum) or retrotracheal (localized behind the trachea) growth * * Rapidly growing nodule, recurrent paresis or Horner’s symptomatology are always suspicious for thyroid cancer!

Other clues

  • A goiter moves during swallowing.
  • A visible goiter can be assumed from a volume of approximately 40 ml. Mechanical impairment of the trachea (windpipe) or esophagus/esophagus (tracheal and/or esophageal compression) is present in approximately 30-85% of patients in the surgical collective, in apparently asymptomatic patients!

Warning signs (red flags)

The following are clues to the presence of carcinoma (cancer):