Follicular Cells found in biopsy?

Please if anyone has advise: I am 43 year old female.

I discovered a mass on my neck approx. one month ago all of the doctors I have seen said this must have been around longer- this was the first I noticed along with fatigue and hair loss.  

Performed: July 9
My primary physican sent me for and ultrasound.  The ultrasound stated I have a complex cystic mass on my left lobe measuring 2.4 x 3.7 x 2.4 and another 1.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 hypoechoic nodule on my right lobe.  My TSH levels are normal on my blood work.

I was refered to and ENT and Encro.  

Performed: July 26
The ENT sent me for a biopsy - The biopsy diagnosis states "FNA composed of rare follicular cells, abundent macrophages (some hemosiderin-laden) scant colloid and debis; consistent with cyst contents.  The doctor was able to drain the cysts and supplied 12 slides and 30cc dark red fluid in alcohol for cell block.

Performed: July 9
An Xray showed there is a slight rightward deviation of trachea with slight compression along the left sides of the trachea.

Performed: July 28
A chest Catscan showed: Abnormal low density within an enlarged left thyroid lobe with minimal adjacent mass effect on the airway.


I am meeting with a surgeon on Wednesday and have a feeling I will need surgery.  Any advise please.

[Jimlow]

Bristic,
Welcome. I don't have knowlege in the cysts area but have a little in the nodules area. My comments of course are just patient to patent input and your Dr. will be able to better advize you.
Your symptoms (fatigue hairloss) are typical thyroid ones and it sounds like they are describing that you have both cysts and nodule findings. Nodules I know from medical sites I've read, can be from autoimmune thyroid disease, either Hashimoto's (Hypothyroidism) or Graves Disease (Hyperthyroidism). The Hashi's, will cause low-hormone symptoms "hypo" but can for a while also cause high-hormone "hyper" symptoms because when the thyroid is undergoing an antibodies (autoimmune) attack, sometimes it will release excess hormone, in effort to prevent dammage from the antibodies but eventually loses the battle and begins a worsening hypothyroid state. Graves on the other hand, causes continued hyper symptoms. Do you feel slowed down, or speeded up? I kind of suspect you feel slowed down but Graves can result in fatigue too, so wasn't sure.
Your Endo-Dr. should be able to tell you if they can remove these or treat with medication etc... because this is something they are able to determine by tests etc...
I'm sorry my info. was limited but I wish you the very best!

[britsic]

Thank you for your insight.  Do you have any insight on what the follicular cells could be?  All search sites I have tried discuss CANCER- which is making me very nervous.

Thanks again I'll post on Wednesday.

[Janie Mack]

I don't know too much about thyroid cysts but I did have follicular thyroid cancer, diagnosed over 8 years ago.  The idea that it could be cancer is very frightening but you should know that, if this is what's going on with your thyroid, it's very treatable and most often is cured after the initial surgery and a radioactive iodine ablation (no chemo!). However, the fact that your cysts were fluid-filled and could be drained leads me to think that it isn't cancer...(I'm not a doctor but my tumour was a solid mass, no fluid at all). My thyroid function, despite the cancer, was also completely normal...this is also most often the case for thyroid cancer patients...thyroid levels are fine and there are no hypo/hyper symptoms at all. Once the thyroid is removed, we all go on thyroid replacement therapy, but until mine was taken out, my thyroid was behaving normally.

[britsic]

Dear Janie Mack,

Thanks for your insight.  I really appreciate the advise.  I am seeing the doctor on Wednesday-  I'll post the outcome.

Thanks again.  It's nice to relate to people besides family and friends; I don't want them to know how nervous I am.

Thank you.

[britsic]

I meet with the surgeon today.  He said that the follicular cells were just that cell- there were no legion type cells.  He said right now the size of the nodule could go either way at 3.7cm- 4.0 is where they suggest removal.  He suggested that we take another ultrasound in 3 months and monitor the size.

Thanks again for you insights.
Regards.

[manina]

Hello, Im new here just reading all the thyroid disorders.
I would like to comment on your Biopsy. Back in 1998 I had the same experience that you are going thru, I felt a lump the lower rt side of my thyroid gland.
Scared to death as you are , I had a biopsy the doctor said not to worry he felt this was benign and to wait
Long story short, I did not feel in good hands had my records sent to another facility, this new doctor said that upon taking a biopsy it was like taking a bite out of a chocalate chip cookie. One bite no chip another bite a chip!
I decided to get the surgery, immediatly.
I had Pappilary (sp) cancer which is the easiest kind to take care of.
Yours sounds just like that it is incapsuled which means most always this does not spread.
I had surgery and all gone! my main tumor was a little over two cinimetors and the surgeon fous two more that were not discoverd before.
I had two doses of radiology blasting away all the other thyroid in my body after my surgey.
So far so good this was in 1999 and I was 49 years old.
Get a second oppinion please.
Oh the surgery is a piece of cake.

[qbngal]

Dear bristic... I know how you are feeling because I'm going through the same thing at this time..
I Have had anxiety for the past two years, I have also had fast heart beats, have put on weight even when I don't eat that much, had many digestive problems, I had a conoloscopy and an endoscopy which both were fine.. my thyroid tests always come back fine.. I'm always tired and feel depressed at times.. My doctors just gave me medication to treat each of the symptoms so now I take I don't know how many pills...   But then one night felt a lump in my throat and I knew something was wrong, so after researching the Internet and finding out all the symptoms I have could be due to problems with my thyroid, I insisted my doctor would give me a referral to see a thyroid specialist.. The specialist gave me an ultrasound at her office which showed I had a nodule on the right side of my thyroid so she sent me to have another one at the hospital which turned out to be around a 2 centimeters nodule.. I was schedule to have a fine needle biopsy which didn't turned out to have enough cells to give a right diagnosis so I went through another fine needle aspiration biopsy which this time showed I had a few follicular cells and also said that a few cells appear slightly larger and that they may represent "Hurthle cells" which could or could not be cancer..  

Does anyone there knows anything about what I have said here? I would appreciate your comments as I'm very nervous about this whole thing.. I'm going to see a surgeon this Friday as my Endo Dr. has recommended I have that nodule removed..

Thank you and I wish you the best..   Josie

[lula33]

A related discussion, a complex solid and cystic mass in the left side of the neck was started.

[Nikky220]

A related discussion, small nodules was started.

[mbooher1]

A related discussion, follicular cells and macrophages was started.