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Conditions
Thyroid (goiter) disorders
Short answer
The thyroid gland is located in the neck and secretes hormones that affect the work of all organs and tissues. “Goiter” is actually the name for an enlarged gland. In the doctor's words, in most patients the problem called a goiter is actually either a nodule, a structural change, or thyroiditis. Dr. Shirvan Zekeriyeyev evaluates thyroid disorders with an examination, tests, ultrasound and, when needed, fine-needle biopsy.
Schematic — not a real scan image
General information
- The thyroid's role. “The thyroid gland regulates the hormonal and energy balance of all organ systems, starting from the smallest cells. Its proper functioning is vital for metabolism and homeostasis.” The pituitary gland in the brain controls the thyroid's work through the hormone TSH. In the doctor's words, the pituitary is “our body's small but powerful leader.”
- What a goiter is. “Goiter is the name given to enlargement of our thyroid gland, and not every pathology of the thyroid gland is a goiter. The pathology we encounter most often is nodules of the thyroid gland” (video).
- The iodine question. Not every goiter is caused by iodine deficiency. In some patients, on the contrary, there is an excess of iodine, and in others the problem does not depend on iodine. More details: Can a goiter patient take iodine?
- Treatment. It varies from patient to patient: sometimes just monitoring, sometimes medication, and sometimes surgery. “Correct diagnosis lays the foundation for correct treatment.”
When to see a doctor
From the doctor's posts
- swelling or enlargement in the neck; hoarse voice;
- difficulty swallowing and breathing, choking, a feeling of a foreign body in the throat;
- palpitations, heavy sweating, irritability, trembling, insomnia;
- unexplained weight gain or loss;
- constant weakness and fatigue;
- pain in the throat area — especially if it is felt when swallowing, or if it comes with tightness in the neck or with weakness and hormonal changes.
The doctor's note: “Thyroid nodules can sometimes go on for a long time without symptoms. A timely examination and a correct diagnosis help prevent future risks.”
Other: ectopic thyroid. This is thyroid tissue located outside its normal place. According to the doctor, the diagnosis can in most cases be made with a simple ultrasound. In the doctor's post, a patient is described for whom everything at first seemed “like a nightmare,” but after the diagnosis was confirmed, everything ended well.
Topics
- Nodules and nodular goiter90–95% of thyroid nodules are benign. A nodule does not always mean surgery: ultrasound, FNA if suspicious, then monitoring or…
- Thyroid cystsMost thyroid cysts are harmless. Pure cysts and cysts with a mural component, when to monitor, when to drain — an endocrinologist…
- Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’sUnderactive thyroid symptoms, causes of high TSH. Why you should not rush into lifelong hormones. Hashimoto's thyroiditis: is…
- Toxic goiter (Graves’)Toxic goiter does not always mean surgery: in Graves' disease, medication comes first. Graves' ophthalmopathy, toxic adenoma…
- ThyroiditisThyroiditis (thyroid inflammation): acute, subacute, chronic. Throat pain spreading to the ear, fever: signs of subacute…
- Thyroid in pregnancyThyroid hormones are key to the fetus's organ formation in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Low TSH is not always toxic goiter. An…
Q&A
Is a goiter always dangerous?
No. Goiter is the name for an enlarged gland, and not every change in the gland is a goiter. The most common are nodules: they are first detected by a hands-on examination and then monitored with ultrasound. If there is a suspicious sign in a nodule's structure, a biopsy is done. The doctor recommends not being afraid of a biopsy (video).
The doctor’s videos
The videos are in Azerbaijani.