Riedel’s thyroiditis presenting as large retropharyngeal goiter - A rare case

Abstract

The thyroid gland lies in the anterior triangle of the neck in close approximation to the larynx and the trachea. The extension of an enlarged thyroid gland outside the normal confines of the thyroid bed is well known. A 35-year-old woman presented with a 12-year history of swelling in the midline of the neck which progressively increased in size and was currently associated with symptoms of dysphagia, difficulty in breathing, and hoarseness of voice. Physical examination revealed an ill-defined neck swelling moving on deglutition, with a bosselated surface with no overlying skin changes. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the neck revealed para- and retro-pharyngeal goiter with extension up to base of the tongue. Retropharyngeal extension of goiter is thought to be a rare entity in itself as shown in literature, but a large retropharyngeal goiter in Riedel’s thyroiditis has not been described before and seems to depend mainly on the body habitus of the patient.