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Thyroid nodules, an extremely common finding with a simple workup and solution.
By Bauer Vaughters, MD
Thyroid nodules are common, being detected in over 50% of the general population. Most thyroid nodules are found when doctors are looking for something else. The majority of thyroid nodules are benign, clinically insignificant, and safely managed with close follow up with your physician.
The biggest challenge in managing thyroid nodules is determining which ones are benign and which ones to worry about. Taking pictures of the thyroid gland with an ultrasound of the neck can help determine how concerned to be. If nodules are found which are concerning, a simple procedure called an FNA, fine needle aspiration, of the thyroid can be performed. This allows us to differentiate from nodules that need to be removed from nodules that we can follow over time.
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If you need to have your thyroid gland removed, you want to see someone who has experience doing thyroid surgeries. Removing the thyroid gland, a thyroidectomy, usually can be done as a day surgery on an outpatient basis. Most patients do well after surgery as long as their thyroid levels are followed closely postoperatively.
If you have thyroid cancer, treatment may consist of surgery only, the addition of radioactive iodine and rarely, the use of chemotherapeutic agents. Thyroid surgery is managed by your physician, your endocrinologist, your surgeon and often a radiation oncologist with favorable outcomes in most patients.
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The most important thing to remember about thyroid nodules is that most of them are benign and most patients have a good outcome, as long as their workup is complete and they follow up as directed.