Goiter and Thyroid Nodule In Children - Kidsrush.com

In this article on kidsrush.com, we will tell you what is goiter and thyroid nodule in children. Let’s start!

The Thyroid: What Is It?

In the neck, at the spot where a bow tie rests, is a small gland called the thyroid located just beneath the skin and muscles.

It weighs less than an ounce, has two lobes that look like butterfly wings, and is brownish-red in color. The liver has many functions, including helping the body grow and regulate energy.

What Is Goiter and Thyroid Nodule?

There can be a lump beneath the skin of the neck upon enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is called a goiter when large enough to see readily.

Nodules in the thyroid gland can be a lump or an enlarged growth of tissue, or they may contain fluid and not be cancerous. In children, most thyroid nodules are not cancerous.

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Goiter In Children: Causes

Many factors can lead to goiter in children, including inflammation of the thyroid gland or excess thyroid hormone production, as well as other thyroid conditions such as infections, cysts, tumors, or cancer of the thyroid. The United States is normally iodine-rich, so this is rare since foods here supply enough iodine. But people who don’t get enough iodine in their diets can get an enlarged thyroid.

Children may be born with goiters or acquire them later in life. Congenital goiters can be caused by:

A disease in which the thyroid hormone is not produced properly in the baby.
During pregnancy, the mother may have thyroid issues.
A pregnant woman taking thyroid-altering medication or substances
It caused the remaining half to grow larger because the child was born without half of his thyroid.

Goiters that develop afterward are called acquired goiters. The most common causes of acquired goiters in the United States are:

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Usually, the thyroid is damaged by the immune system, causing swelling to appear. Sometimes this swelling is dramatic and even appears to be growing. Over time, the thyroid may stop producing thyroid hormones, making it necessary for a person to take a thyroid supplement.

Graves’ disease: The immune system attacks thyroid gland parts, making them swell and produce too much thyroid hormone. This can also cause swelling around the eyes and swelling around the neck. This is the most common cause of goiter in children with elevated thyroid hormone levels.

Colloid goiter (also called the “adolescent goiter”): Thyroid hormones do not cause this disorder and the thyroid can sometimes look abnormally large for a time before shrinking spontaneously on its own.

Viral or bacterial infections: It is common for infections to cause inflammation and enlargement of the thyroid (goiter) in children.

What Triggers Thyroid Nodules?

In fact, the most prevalent type of thyroid nodule in children is a phony nodule, which is caused by inflammation in some of the hormone glands in the thyroid. This inflammation makes the thyroid appear to have nodules, even though it does not.

It is common to have a thyroid nodule, as well as a cyst when fluid pockets get larger inside the thyroid. These cysts are always benign (never cancerous) but can worsen over time.

Most thyroid nodules are benign, and doctors are not always able to explain why they occur. Thyroid nodules growing from tumors are common in adults, but less common in children.

A lack of iodine can cause thyroid nodules in children and teens suffering from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Goiter and Thyroid Nodules: Signs & Symptoms

congenital hypothyroidism — www.kidsrush.com Images

Identifying goiters is easiest due to their location in the front of the neck, which moves up and down when someone swallows. A goiter may feel like food is stuck in the throat, especially when the person lies down or sleeps on his or her back.

Although goiters in children usually grow very slowly over months and years before anyone notices, even parents paying attention can have difficulty detecting the change before too late.

Some kids with thyroid nodules feel like they have a lump in the throat or experience pain in the neck or tenderness. You might notice a large nodule on the neck. A nodule can also cause tenderness in the neck or tenderness in the front.

Goiter and Thyroid Nodules: Diagnosis

The most common way for families and doctors to detect thyroid nodules and goiters is by looking and touching the neck. Laboratory tests and a thyroid ultrasound can give doctors a good idea of what is going on; extra testing is sometimes needed if a thyroid nodule is identified.

In the course of a fine-needle biopsy, a doctor inserts the needle into a thyroid nodule, numbing the skin, then taking tissue or fluid from the nodule. The piece of tissue or fluid is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

It might be necessary to surgically remove the nodule before a more detailed examination can be performed.

A small amount of radioactive iodine or another radioactive substance is swallowed to give the thyroid gland a chance to absorb it. A special camera measures the area in which the thyroid gland is absorbed by the radioactive material. A doctor can find out where, how large, and what type of thyroid nodule there is from this procedure.

What Is the Treatment for Goiters?

According to test results, a goiter may not need to be treated or, if it does, you can usually control or decrease the enlargement by treating the thyroid disease that caused it.

In the case of a large thyroid that is not in control despite treatment or discomfort, surgery may be necessary.

What Is the Treatment for Thyroid Nodules?

Several thyroid nodules do not cause symptoms and might even decrease over time. Many nodules do not require treatment.

Children with thyroid nodules are usually treated surgically. It may involve part of or the entire thyroid gland removal. Thyroid nodules may require treatment if they grow, cause symptoms, or are suspected to be cancerous.

Depending on the type of thyroid surgery needed, the child may have to undergo general anesthesia. If the thyroid is healthy or if the whole gland is removed, the child must take thyroid hormones after surgery.

The majority of thyroid cancers can be treated or managed with treatment. When it does occur, thyroid cancer is relatively rare.

When Should I Visit the Doctor?

Consult your child’s doctor if:

There is an increase in the size of the nodule.
Pain or tenderness is increasing in your child.
Your child struggles to swallow.
It’s unknown why your child’s voice sounds hoarse.