Death due to external compression of the trachea in a patient with multinodular hemorrhagic goiter

Abstract

In this paper we describe the case of an 81-year-old Caucasian female (142 cm tall, weighing 45 kg) who suffered from a multinodular goiter for approximately 40 years. Following the onset of a clinical condition characterized by acute respiratory failure, she was transported to the emergency room by ambulance, where she died within a few hours after admission. A recent cardiac examination showed the absence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, sinus tachycardia with a heart rate of 131 bpm, negative objectivity for signs of cardiocirculatory failure, a blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg and modest exertional dyspnea. A recent hemochemical laboratory analysis showed a TSH value of 0.01microUI/mL, FT3 value of 4.76 pg/mL and FT4 value of 2.33 ng/mL, pointing to a pattern of hyperthyroidism, attributable to Basedow’s goiter. Autopsy showed some peculiarities, and we came across two extremely rare findings; the thyroid gland had reached a very large size in relation to the patient’s body mass (1510 g, in a patient of 142 cm and 45 kg), and the death of the patient was due to the development of a massive intra-thyroid hemorrhage that had caused acute external compression of the trachea. To the best of our knowledge this very rare event has not previously been reported in the international scientific literature.