Retropharyngeal Mass as a Rare Presentation of a Goiter

Abstract

When sufficiently large, goiters often extend into the mediastinum. Less often, there is extension into the tracheoesophageal groove and the retroesophageal space, and, rarely, there may be growth into the retropharyngeal space. In the latter instance the goiter will present clinically as an oropharyngeal mass in a patient with stridor. We report two similar cases documented with CT studies that clearly show that the origin of the retropharyngeal mass was the thyroid gland.