For reference only, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for a checkup. The thyroid gland is an important endocrine organ in the human body. Usually, the thyroid gland is located below the laryngeal node, on both sides of the trachea, in the shape of a butterfly, divided into left and right lobes, not easy to see or feel. When a small lump appears in the thyroid gland, it is often difficult to be detected in time. Therefore, we must learn to often self-check, the specific methods are as follows First, look, in front of the mirror, stretch your neck, tilt your head back a little, swallow saliva, see if there is a lump with the swallowing movement

move up and down. The second is to feel, the right thumb on the right side of the trachea under the laryngeal node, the rest of the fingers touching the left lobe of the thyroid gland, swallowing action to feel whether there is a lump in the fingers under the sliding. Similarly, the right lobe of the thyroid is examined with the left hand.

In terms of instrumental examination, ultrasound is of great diagnostic value. Because ultrasound can not only clarify the exact location, number and size of the mass, but also find small masses that can not be touched with the finger. In addition, nuclear scanning has some significance in distinguishing the benign or malignant nature of the mass. Other tests, such as CT or MRI, should be chosen according to the specific needs of the condition. Generally speaking, most thyroid masses are benign, such as nodular goiter, thyroiditis, thyroid adenoma or thyroid cyst. Of course, there are also a few malignant lesions, such as thyroid cancer. The final diagnosis needs to be confirmed by sending the mass for pathologic examination after surgery.

For nodular goiter, if the mass is small and the patient is not too old, you can take oral thyroxine tablets for treatment and follow up regularly. This is because even if the lesion is currently benign, it can sometimes become malignant as the disease progresses. Surgery is recommended for patients with the following conditions: 1. rapid enlargement of the mass in a short period of time. 2. accompanied by hyperthyroidism such as hyper appetite, excessive sweating, irritability. 3. chest tightness, shortness of breath and other symptoms of compression. Surgery is usually subtotal thyroidectomy or lobectomy of one side of the gland. Since the nature of the thyroid mass is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, intraoperative routine rapid frozen section for pathologic examination is usually performed, and if malignant lesions are found, extended radical surgery is required for treatment. Many patients worry that the surgery is painful, but in recent years we have developed the thyroid surgery under general anesthesia, which is completely painless and well liked by patients. The bulk of data shows that patients with thyroid cancer under 45 years old have remarkable surgical results and generally do not need chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The key lies in early diagnosis and surgery.