Applying leaves and taking traditional medicine to treat goiter, unexpectedly the goiter hung down the neck, blocking the airway.

Ms. VTH (56 years old) had a goiter in her neck 20 years ago. The doctor advised her to have surgery, but she was afraid that surgery would endanger her life, so she refused and treated it with leaves and traditional medicine.

Taking her medical history, Ms. H. said that she went twice a week to get traditional medicine, each time costing 5 million VND, and took it for half a month. After 6 months, she felt that it was not getting better, so she went to find another herbalist to apply leaves with the hope of eliminating the goiter. Within 30 minutes of applying the leaves, the skin on her neck became hot and blistered. Ms. H. had to treat the burn for more than a month, and the skin on her neck healed, but still left dark marks.

Ms. H. continued to go to many places to take traditional medicine. Touching her neck, Ms. H. no longer felt the tumor, and was happy because she thought the treatment was successful. However, the CT scan results at Tam Anh Dermatology Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City showed that the tumor had fallen into the mediastinum (the cavity between the chest, containing the heart, large blood vessels, esophagus, trachea, etc.). The tumor was 1 span long and about 12 cm wide, compressing the trachea, causing her to wheeze every time she lay down.

Who would have thought the tumor had prolapsed into the mediastinum?

On July 9, Master - Specialist Doctor 2 Doan Minh Trong, Department of Breast - Head and Neck Surgery, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that Mrs. H's goiter did not disappear after using folk methods but gradually grew larger, moving deep into the mediastinum. Mrs. H. needed surgery, however, the goiter had penetrated deep into the mediastinum, making it difficult for the doctor to remove the tumor using conventional methods from the incision in the neck. The doctor may need to saw the sternum to remove the tumor. Sawing the sternum makes the patient suffer more pain, has a high risk of bleeding, nerve damage, difficulty breathing, post-operative infection, and a long recovery time.

Surgical team for patient

PHOTO: TA

The doctors made a 10cm incision in the neck and inserted the knife through the muscle tissue. The tumor was deep in the mediastinum, tightly attached to the surrounding organs. The team skillfully separated the nerves from the tumor, then gradually cut the tumor away from the surrounding tissue, pulling the entire tumor out through the incision in the neck without having to saw the sternum.

The larger the mediastinal goiter, the more difficult the surgery.

Dr. Trong said that mediastinal goiter is a condition in which the goiter grows larger, surpasses the neck and spreads to the mediastinum. Mechanical factors such as gravity, pulling force when swallowing, negative pressure in the mediastinum when inhaling, short neck trachea, strong neck muscles, short neck... also create conditions for the goiter to move down to the chest.

Mediastinal goiter accounts for about 3-20% of all goiter cases, often found in women, especially those over 50 years old. Most mediastinal goiters are benign and do not affect the patient's health or daily activities. When the goiter is large, it compresses the esophagus, trachea, blood vessels, etc., causing difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, and voice changes.

"Surgery is the main and most effective treatment for mediastinal goiter. The doctor completely removes the goiter, immediately improves uncomfortable symptoms, and prevents the risk of severe compression and difficulty breathing," Dr. Trong shared.

Doctor Trong advises people with goiter to follow their doctor's instructions. There is currently no evidence that applying leaves, taking traditional medicine, or traditional medicine can make goiter disappear. Some goiters fall into the mediastinum and are not felt, so patients mistakenly take medicine to make the goiter disappear, as in the case of Mrs. H.

Improper treatment is not only costly, but also requires the patient to travel many times. Large goiters cause difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, chest tightness, voice changes, etc. Severe cases can cause acute respiratory failure. The larger the goiter, the more difficult the surgery.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dap-la-uong-thuoc-gia-truyen-tri-buou-ai-ngo-buou-thong-xuong-co-bit-duong-tho-185250709152959917.htm