Goiter is a relatively common thyroid disorder and can be caused by a variety of conditions.
If the thyroid gland is functioning normally, mild enlargement of the thyroid gland may not cause any symptoms or discomfort, while moderate to severe enlargement may compress the surrounding tissues and cause shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and hoarseness.
If the enlarged thyroid gland is accompanied by hyper- or hypothyroidism, it may cause abnormalities and metabolic disorders in the nervous, circulatory, digestive, genitourinary and haematopoietic systems of the body due to too much or too little thyroid hormone.
If goitre is accompanied by malignant nodules, there is a risk of metastases to lymph nodes and distant organs.