Diagnosis of a posterior mediastinal goitre via endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

To the Editors : Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a rapidly developing diagnostic tool. Its utility as a minimally invasive and safe procedure in mediastinal node staging in lung cancer is defined and gaining widespread acceptance. The role of this procedure in the diagnosis of benign diseases is less clear. We report the first case of a posterior mediastinal intrathoracic goitre diagnosed with the aid of EBUS-TBNA. A 46-yr-old female was referred to the outpatient chest clinic for further investigation of a superior mediastinal mass. She complained of a 4-month history of progressive shortness of breath on exertion. She denied any dysphagia. Examination was unremarkable. A chest radiograph showed a right superior mediastinal mass. Her thyroid function tests were within normal limits. Contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography revealed a large posterior mediastinal mass, containing areas of punctate calcification (fig. 1⇓). There was no associated mediastinal adenopathy and the lung parenchyma was normal. Histological confirmation was considered necessary to the planning of surgical …