TY - JOUR T1 - Acute airway obstruction due to benign multinodular goitre JF - BMJ Case Reports JO - BMJ Case Reports DO - 10.1136/bcr-2018-228095 VL - 12 IS - 4 SP - e228095 AU - Teresa Dias AU - Arsénio Santos AU - Carlos Mesquita AU - Rui M Santos Y1 - 2019/04/01 UR - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/4/e228095.abstract N2 - Benign multinodular goitre is a common illness. When accompanied by obstructive symptoms, such as dyspnoea, it carries an indication for surgery. Benign multinodular goitres rarely cause acute airway obstruction. We report the case of a 88-year-old woman who presented with acute shortness of breath and stridor. A chest CT revealed marked enlargement of the thyroid gland, with an extensive intrathoracic component. She was proposed for total thyroidectomy. Her intraoperative course was unremarkable, but the patient passed away in postoperative period from ventricular fibrillation. Recognition of these cases is important, as they constitute a preventable cause of mortality if timely diagnosed and treated. ER -