Colloid nodules, also known as adenomatous nodules or colloid nodular goiter are benign, noncancerous enlargement of thyroid tissue. Although they may grow large, and there may be more than one, they are not malignant and they will not spread beyond the thyroid gland. Colloid nodules are the most common kind of

thyroid nodule Thyroid nodules are nodules (raised areas of tissue or fluid) which commonly arise within an otherwise normal thyroid gland. They may be hyperplastic or tumorous, but only a small percentage of thyroid tumors are malignant. Small, asymptomatic ...

Presentation

Colloid nodules are usually small enough to be undetectable without an ultrasound or other imaging techniques. They usually produce no symptoms, so patients are unlikely to notice them until their size makes them easier to detect. Like other thyroid nodules, they are usually first noticed in a routine physical examination.

Diagnosis

Colloid nodules may be initially identified as an unspecified kind of thyroid nodule. Follow-up examinations typically include an ultrasound if it is unclear whether or not there really is a nodule present. Once the presence of a nodule has been confirmed, the determination of the kind of thyroid nodule is done by fine needle aspiration biopsy. Colloid nodules are distinguished by an apparently gelatinous mass of

colloid A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others extend ...

both surrounding and contained within follicular cells. Colloid nodules are not surrounded by a fibrous capsule of compressed tissue. However, they are surrounded by flattened

epithelial Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellula ...

cells. Both the number of cells and the type of colloid may vary considerably.

Treatment

No treatment is generally needed. Treatment may be indicated if follow up exams show significant change. Surgical management: Hemithyroidectomy (if only one lobe is involved), Thyroidectomy (if both the lobes are involved)

References

External links

Ultrasound images of diseases of thyroid gland
{{Thyroid disease Thyroid disease

Presentation

Diagnosis

Treatment

See also

References

External links