The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland, located at the front of the neck, can sometimes swell or develop nodules. Nodules may be solid or fluid lumps (cysts). Multiple nodules found within the same thyroid gland have a different medical term - multinodular goitre. Thyroid nodules may not give rise to symptoms, which is why many of them are found incidentally during medical consultations, routine check-ups or investigations (e.g. ultrasounds, CT scans or PET scans) for other health problems.
Most nodules are either simple “overgrowths” of normal thyroid tissue, fluid-containing cysts or slowly growing benign tumours called adenomas. A small percentage of these nodules can be cancerous. The risk of thyroid cancer is higher if you had a history of radiation to the head and neck for other medical conditions, or if you have a family history of thyroid cancer.
While the detection of these lumps are not urgent causes for concern, it is still crucial for patients to observe and note any changes in the lumps' properties, shape and size, as rapid growth in a nodule could suggest cancer.
Image showing position of thyroid gland in neck among other organs
