[Urgent thyroidectomy for a mechanical syndrome caused by a toxic nodular goiter--a case report].

We present a case of emergency surgery of an 86-year-old patient with an extensive cevicomediastinal toxic nodular goiter. Acutely onset mechanical syndrome during hospitalization of the patient in another department for a different diagnosis (vertebrogenic algic syndrome of Th-L spine) warranted acute intubation and mechanical ventilation. After the transfer of the patient to our department, we performed total thyroidectomy. All published cases of acute compression syndrome with respiratory insufficiency involve anaplastic carcinoma transformation, fast growing lymphoma, injuries with an intraglandular haemorrhage or infected cysts. In this case the reason was the benign disease of the thyroid gland.