nodule on thyroid

[Roxie0818]

Hi.. I had MRI of cervical spine due to leg pain and MS checkup...noted a  0.9cm enhancing nodule in right lobe of thyroid gland posteriorly.. there are multiple small cervical lymph nodes bilaterally.  I'm getting a referral to endocronlogist.. but was wondering what enhancing means and I know there are lymph nodes in that area.. but what does multiple lodes bilaterally mean?  Is that not normal?  How many does a person suppose to have???  My TSH level was normal.. that was in blood work to check for diseases that mimics MS.....thanks for any help you can give!
Theres no history of thyroid problems in my family.
thanks
Roxanne

[Roxie0818]

I don't know if it makes any difference, I am only 38 yrs old.  If there are hundreds of lymph nodes, why did report indicate multiple small cervical lymph nodes bilaterally?

thanks for response
Roxanne

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

There are 200-300 lymph nodes in the head and neck, seeing these is not unusual.  

Would not read much into the enhancement part on MRI -- MRI is not the best way to characterize thyroid nodules.  

The endo will likely do an ultrasound to measure more accurately the size of the nodule and depending on who does the ultrasound will also look at the lymph nodes in the neck in the region of the thyroid.

Nodules are common -- up to 50% of 50 year olds have them and only 5-10% are cancer -- so a fine needle biopsy may be indicated to make sure this is benign.