Thyroid lesions, or nodules, can be caused by iodine deficiency, chronic inflammation, or cancer. They often have no symptoms and are discovered by a doctor. Treatment may include medication or surgery, depending on the cause.
The thyroid is a large endocrine gland located in a person’s neck. This gland controls hormones that affect the body’s growth rate and metabolism. A thyroid lesion, sometimes called a thyroid nodule, occurs when abnormal lumps appear on a person’s thyroid gland. The causes of a thyroid lesion can be many. These causes can include iodine deficiency, chronic inflammation and cancer.
Thyroid lesions often have no symptoms. Many times, these lesions are discovered by a doctor when a patient makes an appointment after complaining of other symptoms, such as rapid weight loss. If the lesion is large enough, a person may be able to feel the lump on their neck.
One of the causes of a thyroid lesion is a lack of iodine in the body. Nodules caused by a lack of iodine are typically called goiters. An iodine deficiency can be easily corrected by adding supplements or more food with iodine to a person’s diet. In some countries, iodine deficiencies are rare because most of the table salt used in those countries contains iodine.
Chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland can also cause nodules to form. An autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s disease is often responsible for this level of inflammation. This condition causes the immune system to attack the thyroid. This disorder can be controlled with medication. A doctor might choose to surgically remove the initial nodules if they are causing the patient too much pain.
Thyroid cancer is not common, but it still needs to be considered anytime there are nodules on someone’s thyroid. People who are over 60 or people who have a family history of thyroid cancer are more likely to be at risk than other people. A fine needle biopsy (FNA) is a test done on a thyroid lesion to see if it is cancerous. A doctor will use a fine needle to take cells from each lump that is present.
If a person is diagnosed with thyroid cancer, surgery is a must. All nodules are usually removed at this time. In some cases, it may even be necessary to remove the entire thyroid gland. A person who has their thyroid gland removed will need to undergo treatments for the rest of their life to give the body the right amount of hormones that the thyroid is usually responsible for. The risks of thyroid surgery include injury to the vocal cords and trauma to the parathyroid glands.
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