Signs and symptoms for thyroid cysts

The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped organ located in the neck just below the Adam's apple. The function of the gland also know as the "master gland" is to produce thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones regulate many body functions, such as your metabolism and growth.

There are several problems that can arise with the thyroid gland causing it to be over active (hyperthyroidism), under-active (hypothyroidism). One known problem is thyroid nodules or cysts.

The definition of a cyst is a saclike structure that may contain fluid, gas, or semisolid material. A thyroid cyst is a fluid filled swelling attached to the thyroid gland. Being not part of the tissue where they are located, they can vary in size from small and not being noticeable to large enough to cause discomfort.

According to the Mayo clinic, about half of all people have a thyroid cyst and do not know they do. There is no known cause for thyroid cysts or nodules. Some factors believed that may attribute to them developing are a lack of iodine in diet, a genetic defect, an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto's disease that causes an inflammation of the thyroid gland, and radiation exposure as a child. The risks for thyroid cysts increase if you are a female over the age of 40. Having family history of this condition is also a factor.

Signs and symptoms for thyroid cysts vary with the size. Smaller cysts, 3 mm or smaller, are usually not detected if you do not know what you are looking for. These are usually found by a physician during an examination of the neck. Larger cysts may not present any symptoms either. In the case of a larger growth, it would be more obviously seen and felt. Larger cysts may press against the windpipe, cause pain and discomfort in the neck, and depending on its location and size cause difficulty swallowing.

When the growth is discovered the doctor will perform a fine needle aspiration and drain the cyst and send the fluid that is withdrawn to a laboratory to be analyzed. The results on the most part come back benign. The cyst may reoccur and the doctor may decide to have it surgically removed. If the growth is large, causing pain or discomfort, or the laboratory test results of the fluid come back or detecting cancer cells, surgery would then be performed.

If the cyst is small the doctor may decide to just leave it alone and keep an eye on it during follow-up visits. The doctor will monitor the growth and may order blood testing to determine if it is affecting the function of the thyroid gland.

On occasion doctors may prescribe thyroid suppression medication to attempt shrinking the growth. Radioactive iodine treatments are sometimes used to shrink the cysts if they are affecting the function of the thyroid gland.