An enlarged or nodular thyroid is one of the common surgical disorders, and it seems that the incidence of thyroid disorders is increasing in recent years as people become more aware of self-care. Putting aside the true incidence of thyroid disorders at present, the increased sophistication of modern medical instruments has actually increased the detection rate of thyroid disorders in recent years. In particular, the popularity and increased resolution of ultrasound examinations and the experience of ultrasound practitioners in thyroid examinations have increased. So, how do we view a goiter or nodule? Being found with a thyroid nodule With the widespread use of ultrasound, more and more people are being found with a thyroid nodule by ultrasound during an unintentional physical exam. I call these thyroid nodules being found because we don’t feel anything in this case, and this is a contribution of modern technology to mankind that allows us to focus on the thyroid earlier. In most cases, these discovered nodules are harmless to us, but they should be further examined in a specialist hospital. What diseases can thyroid nodules be? Enlarged thyroid gland or nodules can have several types of diseases Proliferative diseases: Simple goiter or nodular goiter, which is like breast enlargement, is benign and usually does not require special treatment and can be reviewed regularly. Inflammatory diseases: These include acute thyroiditis, subacute thyroiditis (subthyroiditis), chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (one of which is called Hashimoto’s disease), and chronic fibrosclerotic thyroiditis. The most common is subacute thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease, often secondary to a viral cold, and presents with an enlarged, painful, and febrile thyroid gland, and generally requires only symptomatic treatment, such as pain relief, without surgery. The other two are less common. What are thyroid disorders related to? The exact cause of thyroid disease is not yet known, but the presence of goiter and nodules is associated with iodine. Iodine deficiency (absolute and relative) can lead to goiter and the appearance of nodules. Absolute deficiency means eating less iodine, which is now rare in the country, while relative deficiency means that the demand increases at certain stages of a person’s life, and although one eats a lot, one still does not have enough, such as during puberty and pregnancy in women, so that the thyroid gland becomes enlarged. This is one of the reasons why there are more thyroid disorders in women than in men. The effect of radiation on the thyroid gland is significant. The possibility of thyroid cancer occurring after the neck is irradiated by radiation increases, and people who experience radiation to the neck should be concerned about the thyroid condition. What can a thyroid nodule look like? As we talked about the literal meaning of goiter and nodules, the manifestation of goiter and nodules is a lumpy manifestation that people may find in their neck. Large lumps can have hoarseness, difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing things, and so on. Methods and significance of thyroid examination The current methods of examining thyroid morphology include ultrasound, isotope scan, CT, etc. Ultrasound is the most common and convenient method of examination. ultrasound can detect nodules and enlargement of the thyroid gland, but a pathological conclusion is needed to determine the benignity or malignancy of the nodules, and now the option is to perform a puncture of the thyroid gland. What should I do if I have a thyroid nodule? It is easy to detect a thyroid nodule with the current tests, such as ultrasound. There is no need to panic after detection and you should go to a specialist hospital for a review and visit. The first choice for treatment of malignant thyroid disease is definitely surgery, while for the vast majority of benign thyroid nodules or enlargements, regular review can be performed. If the nodule is too large or if hoarseness, difficulty breathing or difficulty swallowing occurs, surgery should be performed.