Goitre: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

A goitre is an enlarged thyroid gland. It is a sign rather than a single disease, and the enlarged gland may produce normal, low or high hormone levels.

Types and Causes

Diffuse or nodular (multinodular), toxic or non-toxic, and retrosternal goitre extending into the chest. Causes include past iodine deficiency (much reduced in Turkey since iodised salt became mandatory), Hashimoto's and Graves' disease, pregnancy, some medications and genetics.

Symptoms

Small goitres are often silent. Larger ones may cause visible neck swelling, pressure, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath when lying flat or hoarseness.

Treatment

• Observation for small, asymptomatic goitres with normal hormones
• Medication for hypo- or hyperthyroidism
• Radioactive iodine for toxic nodular goitre
• Surgery for compressive, retrosternal, suspicious or cosmetically troublesome goitres