Management of a Long-Standing Huge Goiter During a Humanitarian Mission: A Case Report

Abstract

Giant goiters are still encountered in low-income countries where diagnosis and management remain challenging. The authors report a case of an endemic giant goiter, treated during a humanitarian mission. A 50-year-old female with no particular history presented during a humanitarian mission with a giant nontoxic goiter evolving for 30 years. She underwent a total thyroidectomy removing a 3 kg thyroid gland. The postoperative period was uneventful. Giant goiters are not exceptional in goiter-endemic areas. Diagnostic and surgical management do not require particular technology. Surgery remains feasible even in countries with limited resources.