Thyroid nodules

Regardless of how a thyroid nodule is detected, an ultrasound scan of the thyroid gland is the best scan to characterise thyroid nodules. The appearance of each thyroid nodule in the ultrasound scan will guide us as to how likely a nodule is to be benign of cancerous. 

However, it is still not possible to differentiate between benign or cancerous thyroid nodules just by using an ultrasound scan alone. A fine needle aspiration and biopsy (FNAB) will help to make this differentiation.

An FNAB is a simple procedure that can be performed in the doctor’s office. A tiny needle is introduced into the thyroid nodule to obtain cells which are then analysed in the laboratory.