The term “nodular goiter” includes a whole group of various lumps of thyroid gland that are different in their morphological features. Such a pathological process is characterized not only by local discomfort, but sometimes can lead to compression of adjacent organs. The prognosis for this disease directly depends on the nature of the tumor that has formed. Most of them do not carry a serious threat to the life of a sick person. However, sometimes formed neoplasms have a malignant nature, which is accompanied by extremely poor prognostic prospects.

The incidence of nodular goiter among the population is extremely high. According to statistics, more than forty percent of people in   thyroid gland   any nodal neoplasms are detected. Interestingly, benign tumors are several times more common in women. In addition, often in women the nodular goiter is combined with the appearance of tumor-like formations in the uterus. As for the malignant forms of this disease, there is no trace of sex dependence here. Only the share of malignant tumors accounts for about five percent.

There are certain difficulties in the diagnosis of nodular goiter. To notice that the thyroid gland is changed by palpation is possible only if the nodes have a diameter of more than one centimeter. However, almost half of the patients to identify seals in the tissues of this organ are obtained only with the help of ultrasound.

There is a division of the nodular goiter into four of its main forms: euthyroid colloid, diffuse nodular, benign and malignant. In more than eighty percent of cases, the thyroid gland undergoes the development of euthyroid colloid goiter. This form is the most favorable, since it is not accompanied by a violation of the secretion of thyroid hormones. It is believed that the leading factor for its occurrence is a lack of iodine, occurring in a very large number of people.

Diffuse-nodular form implies not only the formation of nodal elements, but also a uniform increase in the size of the tissues of this organ. According to statistics, benign adenomas account for about eight percent of all cases. We have already said that the incidence of malignant forms does not exceed five percent.

In addition, the solitary, multisite, and conglomerate variants are included in the classification of such a disease. In the solitary variant, a single tumor-like element is found. Multisite version implies the presence of several nodes, which are not connected with each other. The conglomerate variant is characterized by the formation of nodal elements merging together with the formation of one volumetric neoplasm.

It is quite difficult to answer the question why the thyroid gland undergoes such changes. There are a very large number of factors that play a role in the development of this pathological process. As we have said, one of them is iodine deficiency. It is also impossible to exclude the effect on the body of various harmful substances, stress, harmful habits, adverse environmental conditions, and so on. It is believed that certain types of nodular goiter can be triggered by a variety of genetic disorders.

Symptoms characteristic of nodular goiter

As a rule, if the nodular goiter is small, there are no symptoms. The resulting neoplasm is detected by chance during a routine examination. The situation is much more serious when large nodes occur. Sometimes their size is so large that a visually detectable defect appears in the neck.

As the tumor grows in size, adjacent organs undergo mechanical compression. Quite often there are symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing food, a change in the tone of voice, moderate difficulty in breathing, recurring attacks of dry cough, and so on. In the event that any vascular structures are subjected to compression, the sick person begins to complain of dizziness and headaches. Pain in the area of ​​the site is usually not found. However, it can occur with an overgrowth of a neoplasm or with the development of inflammation.

Often, changes in thyroid hormone levels in nodular goiter are not detected. In rare cases, there may be slight deviations to the side.   hyper or hypothyroidism. The increase in thyroid hormone levels is manifested by the following symptoms: increased appetite, weight loss, prolonged low-grade fever, irritability, insomnia, and so on. When hypothyroidism is characterized by emotional lability, problems with the gastrointestinal tract,   hair loss   and dry skin, frequent respiratory diseases, and more.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

First of all, this disease can be suspected with palpation examination. Confirmation of the diagnosis is carried out using ultrasound. In the event that in the course of an ultrasound examination, nodes that are larger than one centimeter in diameter were detected, it is recommended to appoint a fine-needle aspiration biopsy. She will allow to distinguish malignant tumors from benign ones. Also in parallel, you should assess the level of thyroid hormones in the body.

Principles of treatment are directly dependent on the nature and size of the node. Sometimes observational tactics are chosen that are appropriate for small tumors. From drugs, thyroid hormones and iodine-based drugs can be used. Large neoplasms that have a squeezing effect are indications for the purpose of surgical intervention. The volume of surgery performed on the thyroid gland, in this case, are selected individually.

Prevention of thyroid disease

Principles   prophylaxis   are reduced to the use of a sufficient amount of iodine, the rejection of bad habits and the avoidance of toxic effects on the body.