Goitre

Goitre is the term used to describe an enlarged thyroid gland.  A goitre can be multinodular or diffuse.  The most common cause of a goitre is iodine deficiency. Other causes can be Graves' disease ( an autoimmune condition causing an overactive thyroid) and rarely other forms of thyroiditis.

Once a multinodular goitre has developed it tends to slowly grow in size over time.  It can cause compression on surrounding structures and symptoms such as a visible lump, feeling of a lump in the throat, difficulty swallowing, feeling of choking or shortness of breath, changes to the voice.

Surgery is recommended if symptoms have developed, if there are nodules over 3-4cm in diameter, if a biopsy has shown concerning features or if the goitre is extending into the chest.

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