What is the thyroid gland and what does it do?

Many people do not know what it is, how to judge benign and malignant, and how to deal with it when they see the “thyroid nodule” in their physical examination report. Today, I will have a brief talk with you about the physical examination item-thyroid examination.

FAQ: What is the thyroid gland and what does it do?

Thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in the human body. Its main function is to synthesize thyroid hormones and regulate the body’s metabolism. The thyroid hormone secreted by it can promote human metabolism, growth and development, brain development and nerve regulation. A variety of thyroid diseases can be induced by abnormal secretion.

FAQ: What is a thyroid nodule?

Thyroid nodule is a kind of thyroid disease caused by abnormal hyperplasia of local thyroid cells. It is a kind of abnormal hyperplasia mass, and it is also the most common thyroid disease in the general population.

The detection rate of palpation in the general population is 3% -7%, and the detection rate of high-resolution ultrasound can be as high as 20%- 76%[1]. The detection rate of thyroid nodules is affected by the examination method. High-definition thyroid B- mode ultrasound examination found that the prevalence of thyroid nodules is as high as 20%-70%. Most thyroid nodules are benign, and the proportion of malignant lesions is very small, accounting for only about 5% [2].

FAQ: What groups are at risk?

• 1 is dominated by women.
  In addition to female hormones, emotions also account for a large part of the reasons. Unpleasant or hostile emotions can lead to increased secretion of adrenal cortex hormones and cortisol, causing immune system dysfunction and leading to the occurrence of malignant tumors.
• 2 persons with family genetic predisposition
  Family members have thyroid cancer, and the incidence of offspring is higher than that of ordinary people.
• 3 with a history of radiation exposure
  Such as radiation used in radiotherapy, natural radioactive sources in nature, and radiation from high-voltage wires are the only clear pathogenic factors for thyroid cancer.
• 4 Excessive Iodine Intake
  Excessive iodine intake can affect the normal physiological function of thyroid.
• 5 with bad habits
  Smoking and drinking, bad living habits, unreasonable diet, etc.

FAQ: How to detect the disease early?

Because thyroid disease has no obvious symptoms, and once found are more serious, so regular physical examination is very important. At present, the preferred examination items for thyroid diseases mainly include thyroid function (blood test) and color Doppler ultrasound.

01 Blood Draw-Thyroid Function
Thyroid function, or thyroid function, is an endocrine test performed by drawing blood. It, together with thyroid color Doppler ultrasound, is to check the two major artifacts of the thyroid gland. It mainly includes three items of thyroid function, five items of thyroid function and seven items of thyroid function. At present, five items of thyroid function are commonly used in the physical examination package of Ruici physical examination. It refers to the detection data of five items of thyroid health, namely thyroxine (T4), triiodomethionine (T3), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T3 and free T4.
02 Color Ultrasound
What terms in ultrasound suggest malignancy? First of all, I ‘d like to show you a physical examination report on normal and abnormal thyroid color Doppler ultrasound given by Ruici physical examination color Doppler ultrasound room, which is described in terms of size, thickness, capsule and echo. When you see these words in your thyroid color Doppler ultrasound report, you need to pay attention to them.

• 1) Irregular shape and unclear boundary
  This is not specific to malignancy, but malignancy is often irregular in shape and with ill-defined boundaries. Of course there are also malignant nodules with clear boundaries and regular morphology, which belong to a minority part.
• 2) Aspect ratio greater than 1
  On the cross-section of the ultrasound image, the ratio of the anteroposterior diameter of the nodule to the left and right diameter is greater than 1.
• 3) Low echo or very low echo
  This is a description of thyroid ultrasound signals. If the echo intensity of nodules decreases, it indicates that nodules are solid or subsolid nodules, and increased echo intensity is relatively rare.
• 4) Small punctate or sand-like microcalcification
  Calcification is a very important clinical feature of thyroid nodules. If B- ultrasound suggests fine punctate or sand-like calcification, especially with unclear boundaries, it often suggests that the nodules are malignant. If you have 2 or more characteristics, you need to consider the possibility of malignancy. If necessary, it is recommended to go to the hospital for fine needle aspiration cytology to help confirm the diagnosis.

FAQ: What should I do if I find something unusual?

Ultrasound findings of thyroid cysts or nodules, the severity of the condition is related to the size and nature of the nodules. Thyroid nodules, especially those with a diameter greater than 1cm, should be further examined by the thyroid Junior College in the hospital to determine the nature of the nodules. Generally speaking, if the nodule is relatively large, it is necessary to see a doctor in time. Experts analyze the condition and consider whether surgical treatment is needed. If the nodule is relatively small, regular ultrasound review can be performed to observe whether it has grown up or whether there is any change in nature. If the nodules are found to grow rapidly in a short period of time, they need to see a doctor immediately. Even if the nodules are clinically benign, they should be followed up for a long time and regularly underwent thyroid ultrasound examination.

FAQ: How to prevent thyroid disease?

• 1 Develop good living habits
  Avoid eating too much seafood (high iodine content), and at the same time try to eat less irritating food; combine work and rest, maintain a calm mind; quit smoking and alcohol, exercise properly to enhance body resistance.
• 2 Be Your Own Doctor
  Learn how to check your neck by yourself, such as lumps and nodules, and see a doctor in time.
• 3 Regular physical examination
  Regular physical examination can detect lesions as early as possible. It is recommended to do thyroid function and thyroid B- ultrasound examination once a year. Once abnormalities are found, you should see a doctor immediately.

Health is no small matter, regular physical examination, timely screening,
For health monitoring is of great benefit, Ruici physical examination for your health escort.