hurtle cell nodule?

[ccurci]

Hello,
last week i had a fna on both midpole L&R  my right side was dx'd with lymphocytic (hashimoto's thyroiditis) i knew about this.
my left side fna dx is hurtle cell nodule in background of lymphocytic (hashimoto's) thyroiditis.. my endo wants me to see a specialist out of state after speaking to the pathologist that analized this tissue (he is away till next week)  she told me normally she would suggest surgery.  what would be the routine thing to do in this case. i am concerned due to the google search "hurtle cell" all calls for sg, because the only true way to determine whether benign or malig is a removel of the nodule anyhow.. can you help me define this?
thank you,
camille

[redheadaussie]

In 99.999999% of cases the doctor will suggest surgery. Most Hurthle Cell nodules are benign, but that does not mean that the cells won't escape and end up someplace else in your body. It is incredibly difficult to find any thing on the net without seeing the word cancer attached to Hurthle Cells.
  In my particular case the FNA came back with Hurthle Cells and there was not a moment of a thought to do anything else BUT take the thyroid out. Mine was Hurthle Cell Adenoma with changes...(meaning it was about to bust outta there and head south to party elsewhere in my body) This was found in pathology after the surgery. So I was very lucky to not have had a spread.
   If left untreated Hurthle Cell cancer is not as easy to treat as the more common cancers like Papillary or Follicular, and that is why the doctor will always suggest removal. Better to be safe than sorry.
  In all honesty, I had already had my left side out and then got told 6 months later of the Hurthle Cells on the right side. It devasted me but I am so glad that 7 months on I am alive...and that's the bottom line. You don't muck around with Hurthle Cells..you say bye as soon as possible.
Sorry to be so blunt but there is no other way to deal with it.
Cheers

[ccurci]

this is what i have been reading all along the internet. when i had recieved the report, i called my endo asking to just remove the thyroid nodule (this was yesterday) and she basically said i am getting ahead of myself. i dont want to take any chances. as i said above she wants to send me out of state for a second opinion.  
thank you for your imput :)
camille

[janettahale]

I had a right thiroid lobectomy with a single nodule removed on 3/19/09  It came back as Hurtle cell adenoma.  I have to follow up every 6 months with ultrasound of my left lobe.  I consider to be lucky, my nodule was 2.8cm large and I was not aware I had; it it was discovered by an exxelent doctor by palpation.