Benign Thyroid Nodules / Benign Goiter. What Subjective Problems Are Improved With an Operation and Can This be Predicted Preoperatively?

Nodules in the thyroid gland are common. Patients discover these lumps either because of their visible size increase or because of local discomforts such as difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing or voice changes. The thyroid gland is in close connection with the esophagus, trachea and the vocal nerve. Thus, a lump in the thyroid gland can cause pressure symptoms from these organs. In the event of such complaints, patients are referred for investigation. If it turns out that the patient has a lump in the thyroid gland ("goiter"), further investigation is carried out with an ultrasound examination and sampling with a needle from the lump (puncture).

At present, most thyroid nodules are examined cytologically, ie the thyroid nodules are punctured with a thin needle and the cells that are obtained are analyzed by a cytologist. The material is graded according to Bethesda classification. Higher grading is associated with a higher risk that the tuber is malignant. Lower grading is associated with a lower probability that the tuber can be malignant. If these patients are operated on, it is usually with the hope that their local ailments improve.

We want to investigate which patients who have a lump in the thyroid gland and experience pressure problems experience an improvement after a thyroid operation.