Surgery for fibro adherent inflammatory thyroid disease

Inflammatory thyroid diseases include those which are mediated through autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto′s thyroiditis and Grave′s disease, as well as inflammatory goiter and sub-acute thyroiditis. In patients with such disorders, the thyroid gland often becomes markedly enlarged with an associated fibro-vascular connective tissue reaction involving the thyroid capsule and surrounding soft tissues. This results in dense, adherent connective tissue which may compress and obscure critical central neck compartment structures and make capsular dissection challenging.