The aim of the present study was to report a rare case of dyspnea caused by rapid growth of intratracheal lymphoma in the 2 weeks following thyroid surgery. A 53-year-old male patient underwent a right thyroidectomy due to tracheal compression by a mass of the right thyroid lobe. However, 2 weeks after the surgery, the patient developed dyspnea, which was managed by tracheotomy. An urgent computed tomography scan revealed that the soft tissue of the upper trachea was significantly thickened compared with prior to surgery, resulting in narrowing of the airway. Postoperative pathology revealed right thyroid lymphoma, and the final diagnosis was intratracheal lymphoma. The intratracheal mass regressed after chemotherapy combined with rituximab. We herein review the diagnostic and treatment process of this case of dyspnea, and analyze the outcome, in order to provide a reference for the timely diagnosis and treatment of patients developing dyspnea following thyroid surgery.
Keywords: dyspnea; intratracheal lymphoma; post-thyroidectomy.