Goiter is usually detected on a physical examination by looking at and feeling the lump in the neck. Your doctor will request diagnostic studies that allow them to know the reasons for your condition and its stage, including:
- Blood tests to find out if your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive.
- Thyroid scan.
- Antibody tests to check for Hashimoto’s disease or other abnormalities.
- Ultrasound to observe the size of the thyroid and verify the presence of nodules.
- CT scan or MRI of the neck to examine the trachea.
If considered necessary, they will also request a thyroid gland biopsy.
The treatment to follow will depend on the goiter’s cause, its size, and the symptoms. You may require medication for an overactive or underactive thyroid, as well as radioactive iodine to shrink it.
Smaller goiters or goiters with reduced nodules require only periodic monitoring.
Sometimes when large nodules, cancer, or goiter that cause breathing or swallowing problems are detected, surgery is required to remove the thyroid gland.
At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.
