Thyroidectomy for life threatening giant familial goitre

Urgent thyroidectomy for giant multinodular goitre causing airway obstruction was necessary in the mater familias of a family with a high prevalence of non-endemic goitre. Post operative complications are briefly discussed. Family screening revealed a 100% incidence of nodular goitre in eight first generation descendants with hyperthyroidism in one. A euthyroid pattern was found in 6 of these, as well as in 5 of 19 second generation descendants tested. In two of the first generation descendants dyshormonogenesis was excluded as an aetiological factor by the perchlorate discharge test.