Ahypoechoicnodule is an area of swelling or abnormal cell growth on the thyroid gland.
Your healthcare provider will likely order more tests to diagnose it.
This article explains what a hypoechoic thyroid nodule is and what its symptoms and possible causes are.
Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health
It also discusses how a hypoechoic thyroid nodule is diagnosed and treated.
In some cases, healthcare providers can identify the cause of thyroid nodules.
For example:
Are Hypoechoic Thyroid Nodules Cancerous?
In these cases, the nodule is brought on by malignant cell growth.
What Percentage of Hypoechoic Nodules Are Malignant?
In about a third of cases, people detect a thyroid nodule themselves.
A large thyroid nodule can also lead to vocal changes or hoarseness.
Your practitioner will likely conduct a physical exam, feeling your thyroid nodule.
This can give the provider an idea of the size and position of the nodule.
For proper diagnosis, youll need to undergo follow-up tests for your hypoechoic thyroid nodule.
Theres no special preparation for a biopsy, and most people have no recovery time.
Yet the results are inconclusive in up to 30% of cases and further testing is still needed.
Molecular testing for specificgenetic changeshas become a valuable tool in both the diagnosis and management of thyroid cancer.
RFA is also an option for the removal of benign nodules.
If you need a nuclear thyroid scan, youll take a pill that contains radioactive iodine.
Four to six hours after taking the pill, youll undergo a scan while lying on a table.
Another scan is usually done about 24 hours later.
How Do You Treat Hypoechoic Thyroid Nodules?
Surgery is the first-line treatment for thyroid cancer.
Three common types of thyroid surgery are:
What Is a Scarless Thyroid Procedure?
The surgeon can remove all or part of the thyroid tissue without causing a scar.
The thyroid is very sensitive to iodine, while other organs are not.
Radioactive iodine therapy is used to treat thyroid cancer in some cases and also thyroid diseases such asGraves disease.
Like radioactive iodine, this therapy kills cancer cells using radiation.
In this case, a small beam of radiation from outside the body is carefully targeted toward the cancer.
Because of this, the drugs are known as kinase inhibitors.
Targeted drug therapies might also be used for other thyroid cancers that havent responded to treatment.
This is common if you havent been experiencing any symptoms.
In this case, youll likely undergo frequent thyroid scans and blood tests every six to 12 months.
These scans and tests will ensure the nodule isnt growing or secreting hormones.
If it begins to grow or become active, your healthcare provider might advise treatment.
Undergoing your scans as recommended can ensure any progression ofthyroid diseaseand future complications with your thyroid are caught early.
Life After Treatment
In many cases, treatments for thyroid cancers kill or remove the thyroid.
This is good because it gets rid of the cancer.
However, it also ruins your body’s ability to naturally produce thyroid hormone.
That can leave you with signs ofhypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid.
The most commontreatment for hypothyroidismis the prescription medication levothyroxine.
This will involve scans and blood tests to measure your hormone levels once or twice a year.
Do Thyroid Symptoms Ever Fully Go Away?
Thyroid Cancer Outlook
In most cases, thyroid cancer is highly treatable.
Your healthcare provider will be able to talk about your specific outlook using the details from your case.
However, data from the National Cancer Institute can help you get an idea of your prognosis.
Its important to remember that these are just statistics.
Summary
A hypoechoic thyroid nodule appears dark on an ultrasound.
Your healthcare provider likely will want to order additional tests, including a biopsy, to confirm a diagnosis.
Surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted drugs all are options.
Your healthcare provider will discuss your diagnosis and treatment options with you.
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