19-07-2025
Minimally invasive procedure cures rare thyroid disorder without scars
Bengaluru: A 41-year-old woman Sudha (name changed), admitted to Aster Whitefield, underwent a complex and uncommon procedure where a rare form of retrosternal goitre (a thyroid swelling) was successfully treated using a combination of thyroid artery embolization (TAE) and Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). This minimally invasive approach helped the patient to get rid of the swelling that had extended deep into the chest and avoid a risky open surgery, thereby assuring her a speedy recovery.
The patient, a Professor at a university, had been having trouble breathing when in a recumbent position, as well as palpable neck swelling. Although retrosternal goiters typically present in elderly individuals, predominantly women over 50, this case was exceptional due to the patient's young age and the remarkable extent of the goiter's growth, reaching as far as the aortic arch. The cause of multinodular goiters in younger women, may arise secondary to iodine deficiency, hereditary goiter syndromes, or prolonged stimulation by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), although we couldn't establish cause in this patient.
