What should I do if my thyroid cyst is painful?

Written by Zhao Xin Lan

Endocrinology

Updated on November 28, 2024

00:00

00:00

Thyroid cysts generally do not have any clinical symptoms, but if untreated and continuously growing, there is a risk of hemorrhage within the cyst. Therefore, when a thyroid cyst becomes painful, it may be due to excessive internal pressure and bleeding inside the cyst, causing pain. At this point, it is necessary to go to the hospital emergency department for a comprehensive thyroid ultrasound to observe the size of the cyst, and to provide emergency surgical treatment or local puncture to aspirate the blood and relieve pain.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Zhao Xin Lan

Endocrinology

44sec

home-news-image

Where to massage for a thyroid cyst?

Thyroid cysts refer to fluid-filled sacs that appear in the thyroid gland. The current mechanisms of their development are not very clear and may be related to iodine metabolism, sex hormones, regional factors, dietary habits, and family history. Therefore, massaging will not provide any relief for thyroid cysts. Moreover, when the cysts are relatively large, massaging the affected area may induce the risk of bleeding from the thyroid cysts. Hence, if you have thyroid cysts, do not blindly resort to massage, as it not only lacks benefits but could also potentially lead to the rupture or enlargement of the cysts.

home-news-image

Written by Li Lang Bo

Endocrinology

49sec

home-news-image

Which department should I go to for a thyroid cyst?

It is generally recommended to see a general surgeon, or an endocrinologist, as thyroid cysts are usually benign tumors that essentially remain stable in nature. Surgery is only considered when the cyst becomes very large and causes compressive symptoms, such as compressing the trachea leading to breathing difficulties, or compressing the esophagus causing difficulty swallowing. In such cases, you should consult a general surgeon. For a typical thyroid cyst, it is necessary to check thyroid function to ensure it is normal and to regularly review with ultrasound to monitor any changes in the cyst. If there is a sudden increase in size or significant compressive symptoms, it is advisable to seek surgical treatment from a surgeon.

home-news-image

Written by Luo Juan

Endocrinology

57sec

home-news-image

Can thyroid cysts become cancerous?

Thyroid cysts can potentially become cancerous. Initially, thyroid cysts may arise from various thyroid diseases such as nodular goiter, Hashimoto's disease, thyroid adenoma, and thyroid follicular cancer, which form through degeneration, liquefaction, and hemorrhage. They are one of the common diseases of the thyroid. In the population, at least 4% of people can feel thyroid nodules larger than one centimeter. Among these nodules, about 5% to 20% are cystic. Statistics show that even benign lesions causing cysts have a 4%-5% chance of becoming cancerous when the diameter of the individual exceeds 4 centimeters. Therefore, thyroid cysts can potentially become cancerous.

home-news-image

Written by Chen Xie

Endocrinology

53sec

home-news-image

Do thyroid cysts require surgery?

Thyroid cysts are benign nodules that generally only require follow-up observation. It is recommended to have a re-examination every 6 to 12 months, including thyroid ultrasound and thyroid function tests, to monitor the status of the cyst. If the cyst is large and affects breathing or even swallowing, cyst aspiration drainage can be performed, and nowadays radiofrequency ablation surgery is also an option. However, if the thyroid cyst shows signs of malignancy, a puncture for cytological examination is necessary to determine its benign or malignant nature. If it is malignant, thyroid cancer removal surgery is needed. Therefore, not all thyroid cysts require surgical treatment; it depends on the specific situation.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Li

Endocrinology

1min 1sec

home-news-image

What causes thyroid cysts?

Thyroid cysts currently have no definitive cause identified. Previously, most believed they were possibly related to iodine deficiency, as such deficiency leads to thyroid hyperplasia and an increase in thyroid cysts. However, it was later discovered that in some high-iodine coastal areas, the incidence of thyroid cysts remains high. This suggests that variations in iodine levels, such as switches from low to high iodine or from high to low iodine, can also lead to the occurrence of thyroid cysts. Additionally, it is currently believed that there might be some connection with radiation and the use of mobile phones and computers, but there is no definitive conclusion. Regardless, once thyroid cysts occur, it is important on one hand to eliminate the possibility of malignant features, ruling out thyroid cancer, and on the other hand to ensure thorough thyroid function tests to understand if there are any abnormalities in function and whether treatment is needed.