Purpose: To describe the aspects of the positive diagnosis of large goiters. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective and prospective study including 115 patients from January, 2009 till December, 2014 (6 years) in Central Hospital of University of Point G in Bamako (Mali). The diagnosis of large goiters was based on the measurements of the anterior neck swelling. Thus large goiter was defined as any goiter including the height or width was greater than or equal to 10 cm (centimeters). Results: We operated 115 cases of large goiters on 760 goiters operated either 15.1%. The average age of patients was 44, 43 years ±14, 3 with extremes of 9 and 80 years. There was 101 women (87.8%) and 14 men (12.2%) with a sex ratio of 7.2 in favor of women. The signs of compression were dyspnea in 40% of cases (46/115), dysphonia in 13.0% (15/115), and dysphagia in 8.6% (10/115). The average height of goiter was 12.1 cm ± 3.5 cm with extremes of 10 and 29 cm and the average width was 14.4 cm ± 5.4 cm with extremes of 10 and 32 cm. Thyroid ultrasound found large goiters multinodular in 100%. Cervical radiography found the tracheal deviation in 48.2% (42/87), tracheal compression in 20.6% (18/87), plunging goiters in 11.5% (10/87). Cytology found a benign goiter in 97.4% of cases (112/115), malignant (thyroid cancer) in 2.6% of cases (3/115). Conclusion: Diagnosis of large goiters was based on the measurement of the swelling in our context. The signs of compression are the severity of this condition.

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Total or partial thyroidectomy has been proposed as the initial treatment for benign euthyroid oiter. The aim of this study is to determine the complications associated with surgical procedures for goiter, based on our experience. Material and method: A retrospective study over 10 years concerning 409 patients operated on for goiters in the department with 48 cases of complications. Results: 409 patients operated on for goiter in the department with 48 cases of complications (11.82%). The per-and post-operative complications were: hemorrhage (18: 4.40%), recurrent lesions (1; 0.24%), 8 cases of infection (1.96%), 5 cases of transient hypocalcemia (1.22%) and phonation disorders 9 cases (2.20%). Conclusion: Complications from goiter surgery seem to be more related to thyroid disease and the surgeon's experience than to the surgical procedure. Better knowledge of the factors leading to complications will improve the outcome of goiter surgery.