lymph nodes

[mtkst13]

hello again.  i'm going to see a different ear nose throat, but they do not have an ultrasound machine.  my previous ultrasound showed a node adjacent to the mandibular angle at 1.4 x .4 x .8cm.  another at 1.5 x .6 x .7cm.  another above the sternoclavicular junction at 1.5 x .7 x.6cm and another adjacent to jugular vein at 2.3 x .4 x .8cm and another at level 3 at  2.2 x .7 x .9cm.

is this normal for thyroiditis?  what would be your suggestion?

[mtkst13]

haha.  funny.  i just responded to your post above and just saw that you responded to my post.  

you are hyperthyroid right now...did they tell you this?  you could have graves, a hyper nodule, or thyroiditis (that's what i have...had a hyper phase, a hypo phase, and now i'm "normal").  if it's thyroiditis, you may go hypo and need meds.  what did the doc tell you?

my lymph node evaluation was frustrating as always.  the ent didn't even know what he was looking at on the thyroid sono pictures.  he thought that one of the lymph nodes was a nodule, and we weren't even looking at the thyroid.  i had to show him where the nodules were. it's clearly labeled on the sono and the thyroid is very distinct and gray!  i was hoping that he could explain the pictures to me a little more but apparently not.  it was a 3 minute office visit that i had to take off 4 hours of work for because i had to travel 1.5 hours to get there and 1.5 hours to get back.
and as always, the radiologist report didn't report the size or location of the nodes.  he just said "bilateral lynph nodes again seen but overall a decrease in size".  it's good news thank goodness, but it's frustrating to be sent all over the creation for this...endo to radiologist to ent.  i wish the endo would do it, but i guess it's not her area of expertise.

[golfnfish51]

My problems began about 3 months ago with severe pain in my thyroid(right side).  Ultrasound and CT scan found small nodules on both sides.  Biopsies were negative.  ENT had prescribed prednisone and a strong antibiotic which relieved the pain.  TSH reading was 0.109, T3-139,T4-1.66.
I now have pain on the left thyroid.  ENT suggested waiting a year and **** another ultrasound.  I would be ok with that if it weren't for the pain and what appears to be a new nodule on the left side.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The descriptions of your lymph nodes are most consistent with benign lymph nodes reacting to the Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  This is a relatively common finding.  Now that you have a good baseline ultrasound it may be reasonable to wait 3-6 months and repeat the ultrasound to see if there is any change.  Please discuss these options with her doctor.