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Aerodigestive dysfunction secondary to thyroid tumors
Author(s) -
Calcaterra Thomas C.,
Maceri Dennis R.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-198105000-00002
Subject(s) - medicine , dysphagia , thyroid , malignancy , thyroid tumors , throat , radiology , surgery , thyroid cancer
Although most thyroid tumors first manifest clinically by a neck mass, several patients with thyroid tumor have been treated whose initial complaint was a disturbance of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Because this association is not well recognized, the diagnosis of a thyroid tumor can be delayed, or even missed until the tumor grows much larger causing other symptoms. A series of 269 patients with thyroid tumors seen at UCLA from 1970‐1980 was reviewed. Approximately 16% of these patients sought treatment because of aerodigestive dysfunction such as dyspnea, dysphagia, hoarseness, throat discomfort and hemoptysis. Such symptoms often indicate malignancy of substernal extension of tumor. The management of these tumors is discussed.