The difference between nodular goiter and thyroid nodules lies in different descriptions, different number of nodules and different treatments.
1. Different descriptions: nodular goiter is a benign lesion of the thyroid gland, due to insufficient secretion of thyroid hormone, negative feedback causes an increase in secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone, causing repeated hyperplasia of the thyroid gland to produce multiple nodules, which may be accompanied by hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism; nodules of the thyroid gland may be either nodular goiter, or thyroid cysts, adenomas or thyroid carcinoma.
2. The number of nodules is different: nodular goiter usually has more than one nodule, and thyroid nodules usually have one or fewer nodules, which is less than the number of nodular goiter nodules.
3. Different treatments: nodular goiter with compression symptoms should be treated with surgery, hyperthyroidism should be treated with methimazole antithyroid therapy, hypothyroidism should be treated with levothyroxine sodium tablets; thyroid nodules should be judged as benign or malignant. The non-functional benign ones should be monitored dynamically, and if there is any compression, surgery is needed. Those with malignancy need surgical treatment.
Both patients with nodular goiter and thyroid nodules should go to the hospital and be treated under the guidance of a doctor.