30mm Follicular Adenoma

[lucie1986]

I was diagnosed with a 3cm follicular adenoma on my right lobe 2 months ago. FNA results were negative for cancer. They found follicular cells, colloid, blood and macrophage with hemosiderin. Endocrinologist does not recommend surgery but ear pain is excruciating.

Is surgery recommended for patients with large follicular adenomas?

[kevieb]

My husband had a follicular adenoma large enough that I could see it bulging out the front of his neck.  They could not rule out cancer with testing, so they removed half his thyroid, with the intention of removing the whole thyroid if it was cancerous--it was not cancerous.

He was put on suppression therapy 18 years ago.  I don't know if they use suppression therapy anymore.  I was also on suppression therapy because i had numerous nodules--but mine were small.  

My husband now has hashimoto's and is hypothyroid----so whether or not the surgery caused his hypothyroidism or the suppression therapy did will never be known.

I am also hypothyroid, but I have hypopituitarism, so I have a completely different cause for being hypo.

I think Gibbon's suggestion of seeing a surgeon and making sure the ear pain is related is a really good idea.

[Gibbon1]

I think surgery is recommended for 'compression symptoms'  More recently I believe they have also been using PEI (injections of small amounts of 100% alcohol) to reduce cystic and sometimes solid nodules.

The advantage of PEI is no surgery and less chance of becoming hypothyroid. from a lobectomy where they remove half your thyroid. Disadvantage is what I read is it takes multiple injections to reduce solid tumors and harder to find a surgeon who is trained to do it.

You might suggest a referral to a surgeon and see what options are appropriate. Also make sure your ear pain is actually related.