TPO and goiter: Conclusions: Our study, despite limitations posed by small sample and its retrospective analisys, highlights the role of goiter’s extention (below the aortic arch), disease length (for more than 14.75 years) and flogistic process (positivity of Tg Ab and anti-TPO-Ab) in the choice of combined (cervicotomic and sternotomic) approach to goiter’s removal.