The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland, located at the front of the neck, can sometimes swell or develop solid or fluid lumps (cysts); these are called nodules. Multiple nodules which are found within the same thyroid gland have a different medical term - multinodular goitre.
Thyroid nodule symptoms are usually inconspicuous, which is why many of them are usually found incidentally during medical consultations during routine check-ups or investigations (eg. ultrasounds, CT scans or PET scans) for other health problems.
While the detection of these lumps are not urgent causes for concern, it is still crucial for patients to observe and note any changes in the lumps' properties, shape, and so on. As these lumps may cause problems when they enlarge and compress on other structures in the neck, which could make swallowing and breathing difficult.
Plus, some of the lumps may also produce too much thyroid hormones which could cause hyperthyroidism.
There are risks of thyroid cancer associated with thyroid nodules. Thus, closer observation is tantamount.
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