Description
The finding of a thyroid nodule raises concern of
malignant disease. Thyroid nodules are common but
thyroid cancer is rare. The incidence of thyroid cancer
in those with clinical features strongly suggestive of
malignancy is high but the majority of patients do not
have these features. Appropriate investigation will
identify the more common benign nodules, avoiding
unnecessary testing and surgical treatment in the
majority. All patients with thyroid nodules require
biochemical assessment to exclude hyper or
hypothyroidism and overt thyroid dysfunction
effectively rules our malignancy. Fine needle aspiration
cytology (FNAC) is increasingly used as first line
investigation of thyroid nodules. Fine needle aspiration
cytology and a thyroid function test are cornerstones of
investigation.
