Giant amyloid goiter in Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is one of the causes of secondary amyloidosis, which can lead to amyloid infiltration of the thyroid gland. It is essential to follow strict controls to prevent the appearance of a large amyloid goiter. Two patients with amyloid goiter secondary to Crohn's disease, with a large adipose tissue component and who required surgical treatment, were studied. Both surgical interventions were difficult because of the fragility of the thyroid tissue. A patient with Crohn's disease and secondary amyloidosis could begin to develop amyloid goiter. This is usually fast growing and commonly causes compressive symptoms, although in some cases it only grows in the neck with no evidence of these symptoms. When surgery is indicated, patients should be remitted to hospitals with experienced endocrine surgeons, given that there is a high risk of developing complications.