20 Year Old female needs advice!!! Please Help

[Kelly87]

I am a 20 year old female that has been going to the endo for about 4 years now with a goiter. I was also diagnosed with hashimotios and have been on synthroid. My TSH and everything is good but i have 2 nodules in my thyroid. This is my 3rd ultrasound in a year and i just got the results from the imaging center. I dont see my endo for about 2 weeks. It says....

Findings: 6.7x2.7x2.5 cm right lobe thyroid. 5.1 mm isthmus. Left lobe thyroid 2.3x5.9x1.8cm. A heterogenous throid echotexture. Along the posterior aspect of the left lobe of the thyroid a 5.7x6.7x5.0mm nodule. Within the left lobe if the thyroid a 5.7x3.0x5.7 mm nodule.

Inpression: Heterogenous thyroid echotexture. A nodule in the left lobe of the thyroid. a nodule along the posterioor aspect of the left lobe of the thyroid. Thyrodial versus extrathyroidal in origin.

How does this honestly sound? I dont want to be surprised when I go to my endo. Also, my thyroid has been bugging me lately. I constantly feel a "fullness" in my neck. Do you think my endo would take it out of i ask her to?

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

This all sounds like hashimotos - the 'nodules' may just be areas of increased inflammation, but either way they are less than 1cm (10mm) and need only observation in most cases and not biopsy.

Some patients with hashi have a persistent fullness and pain but rarely is surgery needed as these symptoms usually get better over time.

[mending]

My understanding is that "taking it out" is the last resort. They "normally" exhaust all other treatment options before deciding on surgery (in most cases). You seem to be following your case pretty well and you mention a good TSH. Are you overall satisfied with your endo? Are you getting treatment/medication that seems to have been helping all this time? Is your current discomfort something new?

Your post suggests that you will wait the 2 weeks for your next visit, so the discomfort is probably somewhat manageable. I would use that time to continue doing what you're doing right now (asking questions, reading up on the problem, researching info). When you meet with your doctor again have plenty of info so you can fully discuss your options. Write things down so you can bring up key questions during your visit. Experts on this forum (which I'm not) may be able to help you navigate your treatment options so you can be better prepped to talk to your doctor. I don't know if surgery will be the final decision, but unless the condition absolutely dictates it, I would never go under the knife if there is a chance of otherwise getting some results.

Good luck and hang in there.