Abstract
Lumps occur frequently in the thyroid. In countries without iodine deficiency, it is estimated that palpable lumps in the thyroid occur in 4–7% of the population. Using sensitive examination methods such as ultrasound, changes in the thyroid can be demonstrated in more than one third of people. In countries with moderate or pronounced iodine deficiency, where goitre is endemic, the prevalence of palpable lumps in the thyroid is considerably higher.
Most lumps in the thyroid are benign. Only about 5% of all palpable lumps in the thyroid are malignant. The challenge for the doctor meeting a patient with a palpable lump in the thyroid gland is to diagnose in a reliable and cost-effective manner those few patients who have thyroid cancer and need immediate care. It is neither meaningful nor possible to surgically remove all lumps in the thyroid.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Nyström, E., Berg, G., Jansson, S., Tørring, O., Valdemarsson, S. (2011). Thyroid Lumps. In: Thyroid Disease in Adults. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13262-9_29
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-13261-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-13262-9
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