Goiter

Your healthcare provider usually diagnoses goiter when they perform a physical examination and feel that you have an enlarged thyroid. However, the presence of a goiter indicates that there’s an issue with your thyroid gland. They’ll need to figure out what the issue is.

Your provider can use several tests to diagnose and evaluate goiter, including the following:

• Physical exam: Your provider may be able to tell if your thyroid gland is enlarged by feeling your neck area for nodules and signs of tenderness.
• Thyroid blood test: This blood test measures thyroid hormone levels, which reveal if your thyroid is working properly.
• Antibody test: This blood test looks for certain antibodies that are produced in some forms of goiter. An antibody is a protein made by white blood cells. Antibodies help defend against invaders (for example, viruses) that cause disease or infection in your body.
• Thyroid ultrasound: Ultrasound is a procedure that sends high-frequency sound waves through body tissues. The echoes are recorded and transformed into video or photos. Your provider can “see” your thyroid to check its size and if it has nodules.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of a sample of tissue or cells to be studied in a laboratory. You may need a thyroid biopsy if there are large nodules in your thyroid gland. A biopsy is taken to rule out cancer.
• Thyroid uptake and scan: This imaging test provides information on the size and function of your thyroid. In this test, a small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein to produce an image of your thyroid on a computer screen. Providers don’t order this test very often, since it’s only useful in certain circumstances.
• CT scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of your thyroid: If the goiter is very large or spreads into your chest, a CT scan or MRI is used to measure the size and spread of the goiter.