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What Does The Thyroid Ultrasound Report Indicate?
Question: I recently went for a new thyroid ultrasound. I have hypothyroidism. I have had an elarged thyroid since 2002 during my second pregnancy. My primary has been sending me for scans every few years to keep an eye on it. I also have nodules on my thyroid I have always been told they are quite small but this last report seems to have a solid nodule that seems to be rather large. My mother had thyroid cancer she has since had her thyroid removed. Her thyroid was enlarged and had several nodules on it as well as a tumor on it. Please review the attached reports and let me know your thoughts on the last report that dates 5/18/15. Is elective surgery to remove my thyroid in my best interest? Thank you,
Brief Answer:
Thyroid
Detailed Answer:
I have reviewed all the attached reports.
Given the fact that your mother had thyroid nodules and cancer, it would seem prudent to consider an FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration) biopsy for both your thyroid nodules.
Surgery is an option too but biopsy is a reasonable first step. It is best performed under ultrasound guidance.
Thyroid
Detailed Answer:
I have reviewed all the attached reports.
Given the fact that your mother had thyroid nodules and cancer, it would seem prudent to consider an FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration) biopsy for both your thyroid nodules.
Surgery is an option too but biopsy is a reasonable first step. It is best performed under ultrasound guidance.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Do you feel the nodules are large in size? Is 9mm large for a nodule? My concern is that they are listed as solid. Is there more concern since they are solid?
Brief Answer:
Follow up
Detailed Answer:
Generally, guidelines recommend that solid nodules, especially the hypoechoic ones (and yours is) warrant a biopsy. It is the size threshold that has varied over the years. Conventionally any solid nodule greater than 1 cm (=10 mm) is suggested to be biopsied.
However recent guidelines suggest raising the cut-off to 1.5 to 2 cm, provided there are no other risk factors for thyroid cancer such as family history of thyroid cancer.
But in your case, your mother had thyroid cancer. So here a biopsy is worth doing.
So nodule evaluation is not only about size but the overall broader context which includes
nodule characteristics on USG
Growth pattern over the years
Risk factor assessment
Endocrinologists' comprehensive evaluation
Your preferences regarding managementoptions
Follow up
Detailed Answer:
Generally, guidelines recommend that solid nodules, especially the hypoechoic ones (and yours is) warrant a biopsy. It is the size threshold that has varied over the years. Conventionally any solid nodule greater than 1 cm (=10 mm) is suggested to be biopsied.
However recent guidelines suggest raising the cut-off to 1.5 to 2 cm, provided there are no other risk factors for thyroid cancer such as family history of thyroid cancer.
But in your case, your mother had thyroid cancer. So here a biopsy is worth doing.
So nodule evaluation is not only about size but the overall broader context which includes
nodule characteristics on USG
Growth pattern over the years
Risk factor assessment
Endocrinologists' comprehensive evaluation
Your preferences regarding managementoptions
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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