In the face of the rapid increase in the incidence of thyroid diseases in recent years, we have been increasing our efforts in thyroid health education, guiding the public to establish a healthy lifestyle, and making efforts to increase the awareness rate, consultation rate and treatment rate of thyroid diseases, as well as standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases. 1.What kind of organ is the thyroid gland? The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and is the most superficial endocrine gland in the body, as well as the largest endocrine gland. Adult thyroid gland weighs about 20-25g, slightly larger in women. Normal adult thyroid gland is shaped like “H”, which can be divided into left and right side lobes, connected by isthmus in the middle, and the volume of the side lobes is 4-125px in length, 1-50px in width, and 2-75px in thickness, and the left and right lobes are basically symmetrical. When swallowing, the thyroid gland moves up and down with the larynx, but under normal circumstances, the thyroid gland cannot be seen even when swallowing. 2.What is the role of the thyroid gland in the body? The thyroid gland secretes thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine amino acid T3, thyroxine T4), and the synthesis of thyroid hormones requires iodine as a raw material, so the thyroid gland has a strong iodine-gathering ability, and most of the iodine in the body is concentrated in the thyroid tissue. Most of the iodine in the body is concentrated in the thyroid tissue. Insufficient iodine intake will affect the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Excessive iodine intake can also cause some thyroid disorders. Thyroid hormones regulate the body’s metabolism and affect growth and development. Calcitonin secreted by parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland mainly regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism of the body. 3.What are the common thyroid diseases? Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disease, and the prevalence of thyroid disease has been increasing year by year in recent years. Common thyroid diseases include simple goiter, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. 4.What is the relationship between iodine and thyroid disease? The relationship between iodine deficiency or iodine excess and thyroid diseases is very close, and it can be assumed that every thyroid disease is directly or indirectly related to iodine. Iodine deficiency can cause non-toxic goiter, thyroid nodules, thyroid tumors; too much iodine can lead to thyroiditis, induced diffuse toxic goiter (Graves’ disease), lymphocytic thyroiditis, iodine hyperthyroidism and iodine hypothyroidism. In addition to the high iodine content in the diet, salt iodization is excessive, attention must be paid to iodine-containing drugs (such as amiodarone), iodine-containing contrast agents and even radioactive iodine-labeled antibodies or drugs (radioimmunosuppressive therapy) caused by iodine overdose. 5.What are the precautions for patients with thyroid disease in the first consultation? In the first visit, patients need to provide the doctor with a family history of thyroid disease, whether or not they smoke, iodine intake (including contrast and other iodine-containing medications), history of radiation to the neck, history of taking Chinese herbal medications, and for women, menstrual history, history of taking contraceptives, whether or not they have been pregnant or plan to get pregnant, and whether or not they have had any births or miscarriages in the last year, and so on. When the doctor does the thyroid gland palpation, you need to cooperate with the swallowing action. 6.What are the tests related to thyroid disease? (1) Blood test: thyroid hormone measurement includes serum triiodothyronine amino acid (T3), thyroxine (T4), free T4, free T3, thyrotropin (TSH), thyroid autoantibodies including antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), antithyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb), thyroglobulin, calcitonin and so on. , calcitonin, etc. (2) High-resolution ultrasonography (ultrasound): mainly used to evaluate morphological changes in the thyroid gland. (3) Thyroid nuclear scanning: to assist in determining thyroid function and morphology. (4) CT examination of the thyroid gland: not a routine examination of thyroid disease, but patients who need to undergo surgery preoperative neck CT is helpful for doctors to understand the relationship between the lesion and the surrounding anatomy lymph node metastasis. (5) Thyroid iodine-131 uptake rate: reflecting the thyroid’s ability to concentrate inorganic iodine. Commonly used in hyperthyroidism isotope therapy before the thyroid gland iodine uptake ability assessment, as well as hyperthyroidism differential diagnosis. (6) Fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules: Since fine needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules can provide the basis for pathological histologic diagnosis, FNA is widely recommended in domestic and international guidelines for the initial determination of the nature of nodules. 7.What are the treatments for thyroid diseases? (1) Antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy: mainly used for hyperthyroidism treatment, including thiourea derivatives, imidazole derivatives, iodine agents, β-blockers, perchlorate and lithium, etc. The most used are thiourea derivatives, imidazole derivatives, iodine agents, β-blockers, perchlorate and lithium. Among them, the most used are thiourea and imidazole derivatives. (2) Radionuclide (RAI, mainly 131I) therapy: radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism has been increasingly emphasized, and RAI has become the most important treatment measure for hyperthyroidism in the U.S. and most of the European countries.RAI therapy utilizes the thyroid’s ability to highly uptake and concentrate iodine and the destructive effect of β-rays released by 131I on the thyroid gland to destroy the follicular epithelium and reduce the thyroid gland’s hormone secretion. (3) Surgery: Surgery is preferred for thyroid nodules and retrosternal goiter that cause compression and high suspicion of thyroid cancer. (4) Thyroid hormone preparation therapy: thyroid disease using thyroid hormone preparation has three main purposes: ① replacement therapy, supplementing the TH deficiency, so that the TH concentration is maintained at the normal level; ② as an adjuvant therapy for ATD to adjust the regulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, to prevent the occurrence of certain complications (e.g., proptosis or medical hypothyroidism, etc.); (3) inhibition therapy: applied in differentiated thyroid cancer Postoperative treatment. (5) Other treatments: hyperthyroid patients should be supplemented with enough calories and B vitamins, mental tension or insomnia can be given sedatives, amenorrhea or postmenopausal women can be supplemented with the right amount of estrogen, long-term treatment with levothyroxine hormone (L-T4) replacement should pay attention to the supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. People with underweight and muscular dystrophy should pay special attention to supplementing the adequate amount of proteins. Subacute thyroiditis is improved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids.