Intrathoracic goiter with differential diagnostic difficulties

: Intrathoracic goiter represents an important differential diagnosis in the examination of lung tumours. A 71-year-old healthy woman presented with dyspnoea, stridor and an inhomogeneous tumour compressing the upper part of the right lung at the level of the left atrium. Computed tomography showed bilateral pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion. Thyroid scintigraphy demonstrated no uptake in the pulmonary mass and material from two sets of core-needle biopsies were inconclusive. Surgery with histology revealed a degenerated benign intrathoracic goiter.