Thyroid nodules are solid or fluid-filled lumps that form in your thyroid gland in the lower front part of your neck. The good news is that only about five percent are cancerous, causing symptoms.
As a nodule grows, you may notice a lump in your throat while looking in the mirror. Or your doctor may spot a mass during a routine checkup.
Thyroid Function
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the lower front of your neck. Its job is to secrete thyroid hormone into your blood to reach every tissue in the body.
Thyroid hormone works like the thermostat in your house, controlling the pace of all the functions in your body. Your metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and more.
Nodule Symptoms
Patients usually won’t have any symptoms. As nodules grow, they can be seen and felt.
Symptoms may include:
- Lump on your neck you can see or feel
- Pain or pressure in your neck
- Trouble swallowing
- Hard to breathe
- Goiter
Your thyroid gland normally secretes a hormone called thyroxine. When nodules produce too much thyroxine, you may experience:
- Sudden weight loss
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Nervousness
Nodules that produce thyroid hormones will cause hyperthyroidism symptoms:
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Increased perspiration
- Heart racing
- Hand tremors
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Thinning of your skin
- Fine brittle hair
- Weakness, especially in upper arms and thighs
- More frequent bowel movements
- Weight loss
- Lighter, less frequent menstruation
Cancer is more likely with the following symptoms:
- Nodules grow quickly or become hard
- Hoarseness or problems with swallowing or breathing
- Enlarged lymph nodes under your jaw or in your neck
What causes nodules?
No one knows what causes most nodules to develop. But a diet with enough iodine will prevent some nodules.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing thyroid nodules includes examining the patient’s medical and family history. Some thyroid problems run in families.
A physical exam is important to examine the thyroid itself, as well as heart rate and blood pressure.
Blood Tests
A serum thyrotropin blood test of thyroid hormone (thyroxine or T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) can tell your doctor how your thyroid is functioning.
Blood tests cannot determine if a thyroid nodule is cancerous.
Ultrasonography
If nodules are hard to feel, an ultrasound can use high-frequency sound waves to take pictures of your thyroid. Instead of radiation. These let your doctor see how many nodules you have, how big they are and if the nodules are solid or filled with fluid.
Your doctor may also use ultrasonography to keep an eye on your nodule to see if it grows. He may also use this to know where to put a needle during a fine-needle biopsy.
Radioactive Iodine Scanning
A thyroid scan uses a very small amount of radioactive material so your doctor can see thyroid nodules in a picture.
An isotope of radioactive iodine is injected in a vein on the inside of your elbow. While you lie down, a camera produces an image of your thyroid on a computer screen.
If the nodule is not functioning normally, it is “cold.” Then a fine-needle biopsy of the nodule should be done.
A “functioning” or “hot” nodule behaves much like normal cells and the likelihood of cancer here is very low.
Nodule Treatment
Your doctor at Northside ENT can help you decide if your thyroid nodule will need additional tests to look for cancer. Treatment can range from simple observation for benign nodules to surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid if there is a concern for cancer.
The good news is that only about five percent of all thyroid nodules are actually cancerous. The majority of these cancers respond very well to surgical treatment, especially when caught early.
See Your Doctor
Call your physician if you notice a swelling in your neck ~ especially if you’re having problems breathing or swallowing.
Northside ENT board certified otolaryngologists have provided comprehensive ear, nose and throat services in Central Indiana since 1977.
