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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor may discover an enlarged thyroid gland simply by feeling your neck and having you swallow during a routine physical exam. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to feel the presence of nodules.
Diagnosing goiter may also involve:
- A hormone test. Blood tests can determine the amount of hormones produced by your thyroid and pituitary glands. If your thyroid is underactive, the level of thyroid hormone will be low. At the same time, the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) will be elevated because your pituitary gland tries to stimulate your thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone. Goiter associated with an overactive thyroid usually involves a high level of thyroid hormone in the blood and a lower than normal TSH level.
- An antibody test. Some causes of goiter involve production of abnormal antibodies. A blood test may confirm the presence of these antibodies.
- Ultrasonography. A wand-like device (transducer) is held over your neck. Sound waves bounce through your neck and back, forming images on a computer screen. The images reveal the size of your thyroid gland and whether the gland contains nodules that your doctor may not have been able to feel.
- A thyroid scan. During a thyroid scan, you'll have a radioactive isotope injected into the vein on the inside of your elbow. You then lie on a table with your head stretched backward while a special camera produces an image of your thyroid on a computer screen. The time needed for the procedure may vary, depending on how long it takes the isotope to reach your thyroid gland. Thyroid scans provide information about the nature and size of your thyroid, but they're more invasive, time-consuming and expensive than are ultrasound tests.
References
- Goiter. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Goiter_brochure.pdf. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- Simple nontoxic goiter. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152i.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- Jameson JL, et al. Disorders of the Thyroid Gland. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2877579&searchStr=goiter. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
- LaFranchi S. Goiter and thyroid cancer in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- LaFranchi S. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- Endocrinology update: Imaging the thyroid nodule. MayoClinic.org. http://www.mayoclinic.org/mcitems/mc5800-mc5899/mc5810-1207.pdf. Accessed Oct. 1, 2008.
- Iodine. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Home Edition for Patients and Caregivers. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec12/ch155/ch155f.html. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
- Bauer DC, et al. Thyroid Disease. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine. 5th edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2091040&searchStr=goiter. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
- Nontoxic goiter: Diffuse and nodular. In: Kronenberg HM, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th edition. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/112198375-3/778390960/1555/77.html. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
