Table 1. Descriptive data of preoperative thyroidectomy patients with substernal or cervical goiter.

Variable	Substernal goiter	Cervical goiter	P value
Age**	57.7 ± 11.2 years	51.6 ± 12.6 years	0.100*
Female	87.8%	90.2%	0.687*
Positive anti-thyroid peroxidase	6.1%	17.0%	0.117†
Positive anti-thyroglobulin	12.2%	18.8%	0.376*
Positive TRAB	4.1%	12.2%	0.239†
Preoperative cytology Bethesda I Bethesda II Bethesda III Bethesda IV Bethesda V	2.6% 81.6% 10.6% 5.2% -	1.8% 87.4% 7.2% 1.8% 1.8%	0.853*
Medication Levothyroxine Antithyroid drugs	5.9% 15.4%	15.4% 15.4%	0.403*
Nodules (ultrasonography) Unilateral Bilateral	22.9% 77.1%	14.6% 85.4%	0.296*
Goiter volume, cc (ultrasonography)**	163.0 ± 103.6	93,4 ± 61.1	< 0.001#
Compressive symptoms	85.7%	78.3%	0.322*
Laryngopharyngeal reflux signs in pre-operative laryngoscopy	41.5%	20.5%	0.036*
Abnormal vocal fold mobility in pre-operative laryngoscopy	5.0%	11.4%	0.437†
Pre-operative TSH (μU/mL)**	1.31 ± 1.20	114 ± 1.08	0.444#

* Chi-square test; ** Mean ± standard deviation; ^† Fisher’s exact test; ^# Student’s t test.