No abstract

A 75-year-old woman with a longstanding history of a substernal thyroid goiter presented with acute shortness of breath, and she was intubated due to respiratory distress. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a compressive substernal goiter with associated vascular compression, axillosubclavian thrombosis, and saddle pulmonary embolism. Weight-based heparin was immediately administered, and the patient subsequently underwent successful thyroidectomy via a cervical incision. This case report of a rare saddle pulmonary embolism associated with a substernal thyroid goiter underscores the importance of early elective thyroidectomy. Successful management of these potentially devastating pulmonary emboli (PE) associated with large substernal goiters is possible.

Board was not required for this case report; the data is deidentified and not considered human subjects research.