Recurrent Pregnancy-Related Upper Airway Obstruction Caused by Intratracheal Ectopic Thyroid Tissue

An unusual case of recurrent pregnancy-related thyroid growth stimulation is reported. A 27-year-old euthyroid woman had pulmonary symptoms, thought to be asthma during her first pregnancy, that improved postpartum. Bronchodilatators had no effect and symptoms recurred from gestational week 22 during her second pregnancy. Her 58-mL multinodular goiter (by ultrasound) was not thought to be responsible for her upper airway symptoms. Therefore, fiber laryngoscopy and computed tomographic (CT) scan were performed and revealed a 20 X 15 x 10 mm intratracheal tumor. After tracheostomy and microlaryngoscopy, benign goitrous thyroid tissue was removed through a tracheal fissure during gestational week 35. Postoperatively the patient had stopped medication and was without any pulmonary symptoms. The child was delivered by cesarean section in gestational week 39. Apgar score was normal and the child has developed normally. We believe that this case illustrates the recurrent effect of pregnancy-related thyroid tissue stimulation by a combination of increasing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation and iodine deficiency in a borderline iodine-deficient region. This is the first report on symptomatic intratracheal ectopic thyroid tissue diagnosed during pregnancy.