Nodule growing down wards, help with report

[nora550]

Here is my latest report.
Right lobe, 11×11×31mm
Right lobe 29×20×31mm
Isthmus7mm
The left lobe is seen extending down wards  till the level of the upper left clavicle.
The lower half of the left lobe is seen replaced by a well defined nodule measuring 41×26mm
Showing heterogeneous echo texture with multiple areas of breaking down causing cystic changes.
Duplex study reveals diffuse increased vascularity being more evident at the lower half of the left lobe.
Associated with ectatic left middle thyroid artery
Intact carotid
No retrosternal extension
He trachea is central, no enlarged cervical lymph nodes.

[nora550]

So true mzshannon,  the doctors seem to be very relaxed.
The worst part is when they tell you to relax and not worry.
I used to be very active and suddenly within a few months I changed 180 degrees. I know something is wrong.  
Iwill see another doctor sooon, hopefully he will listen and take all needed blood tests.

[mzshannon]

Definitely go for a second opinion if you are able to!

I had "all" the tests done, (so they said) and my first endo said no cancer, no problems, come back in a year. A week after my biopsy, my nodule went from 3.5.cm to 4.2cm and stayed that way for three weeks. It was painful and it constricted my esophagus when I would lie down.

I complained to my primary physician and she ordered "more blood work". She was confused because they were "normal" and I was still having symptoms and the nodule was huge and crossing over to my right lobe. I was also having more painful palpitations (I'm now on heart meds due to this to prevent any heart damage or stroke).

Come to find out, they ONLY tested my TSH and during the 4th week, the nodule burst and it was the most painful ordeal ever. Now my thyroid swells up randomly all the time and is constantly painful.

Yours is giving your symptons, growing, and at 4+cm it should be dealt with. Each lobe of your thyroid is only 4cm so something needs to be done.

I searched high and low for a new endo and finally found one with great reviews through my insurance company. I wish I would've investigated my first specialist before I went!

I hope this all ends for you on a good note and that everything gets taken care of in the right manner for you! I wish more specialists weren't so lax with the issues of this organ. I feel like so much is yet to be learned..especially with the reading of levels for different people.

Well wishes being sent your way!

[Gibbon1]

Well if it's benign, good chance of that, but not 100% then you wouldn't need a second surgery.

I think surgeons are concerned about scare tissue causing problems if they wait too long before doing a second surgery. Which is why if they need to go in again they want to do it quickly after the first surgery before scare tissue forms.

I think just taking someones thyroid out probably should be reserved for people with multiple nodules, goiters, or graves disease.

It's hard all the information is out there, along with a lot of misinformation and woo. Though only a ear nose and throat surgeons with experience can really say what the better options are. Then again like all professions, some of them are quirky or not focused on whats best for the patient (AKA more focused on what is convenient for the surgeon) so a second opinion is always good.

[nora550]

Thanks for commenting, really appreciated. That's why I need second, third opinion,  I am not happy with the whole idea of 2 surgeries.
Thanks

[Gibbon1]

I'd resist having your whole thyroid removed 'just because'.

If you can keep half your thyroid that's much better than no thyroid since your thyroid hormone levels are still nominally under control of your pituitary and you may be able to get away with no medication or simply supplemental medication.

I've seen mentioned on the other thyroid forum that some surgeons prefer to remove the offending half, send it immediately to pathology and then remove the other half only if the pathologist thinks it's cancerous. That seems far preferable to needing a second surgery.

Good luck, having had a large nodule myself I totally get the very weird symptoms from compression.  A lot of nerves and blood vessels pass through the neck on to way to places important. Weirdest was tingling on my lips on just one side.

[nora550]

Thanks gibbon1
this is my third follow up, and the nodule has grown from 1.2cm to 4.1cm in the last two years, thats what's concerning me. It has been bothering me for a while, and I have this strange burning sensation,  ear pain. I have so many strange symptoms, and only test the doctor is tsh which is in the middle range. 2.1 . I havent done any other test for the last three years. Is that normal, even though the nodule is growing.  doctor  says that it needs to be removed. I need to have 2 surgeries within a week.first remove the right lobe, and get the second send for biopsy,  and if it turns to be malignant  the other lobe needs to be removed.and I have to get back to the hospital again.the other option is one operation and both lobes removed. I read that the labs couldn't differentiate between the "good"follicular cells or "bad".is that tue.
Thank you

I havent heard about this before, I thought  the full removel of second lobe could be done under the anesthesia at the same day.

[Gibbon1]

Cystic means fluid filled.
Hemorrhagic means 'bleeding'
Colloid Nodule means filled with 'crud' basically.
Follicular is a type of cell.
He trachea is central, no enlarged cervical lymph nodes: Means it's not pressing on your windpipe. And lymph nodes are normal, (no cancer)

Looks like you have a decent sized fluid filled nodule in one lobe of your thyroid, with past bleeding into the nodule. Sounds like it's benign (not cancer).

What to do depends on if it's causing symptoms or is getting bigger.  I think nodules over 4cm doctors start considering surgery to remove the side of the thyroid the nodule is on. However yours isn't so big, so you could follow up later (3 to 6 months) and see if it's getting larger.

Either way, nothing about this is particularly serious or an emergency.

[nora550]

The fnab.
Cystic hemorrhagic and colloid nodule with follicular cells.
I am literally lost,,,,,, please any suggestions  would be appreciated.