# Trying to understand lab results



## theta69 (May 4, 2017)

Hi all,

I have a small goiter on the right side of my thyroid with a 1.6 cm nodule and a small cyst on nodule. ENT believes the nodule burst after an upper respiratory infection and contains blood. He and my primary care doctor want to wait and see if the goiter will go down on its own. It's been 3 months with no change. I had a lot of symptoms over the past 3 months....couldn't sleep but an hour or so at a time (now sleep better some nights but still feel very tired when I wake up), anxiety through the roof (still experience this--try to walk and do deep breathing), have had severe heartburn (take Zantac), and hand tremors & eye twitching periodically. Heartburn and anxiety are the main symptoms right now with discomfort at the goiter location. ENT and primary care doctor say lab work is all normal and say symptoms have nothing to do with thyroid and haven't diagnosed me with anything other than a goiter. Below are my thyroid labs.... Has anyone had symptoms like me and labs normal? Is this just "regular" thyroiditis? Does it go away on it's own?

Cortisol AM: 11 (6.7-22.6)

TPO: 0.5 (0.0-9.0)

Thyroglobulin AB: <0.9 (0.0-4.0)

Free T4: 1.0 (0.6-1.7)

TSH 3rd Generation: 1.05 (0.4-4.20)

TSH Reflex to Free T4: 1.03 (0.4-4.20)

I appreciate any thoughts....


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Your free t4 is a little low but nothing shocking.

Did the nodule burst for sure? That is, have you had a follow up ultrasound?


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## theta69 (May 4, 2017)

No, I haven't had a follow up ultrasound. I did see ENT last week and it just eyed they goiter and felt it. Said he wasn't concerned and thyroid surgery was out of the question and not necessary.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Do you have copies of your original ultrasound?


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## theta69 (May 4, 2017)

No, I don't have a copy of the ultrasound. They just said there was a 1.6cm (maybe bigger) nodule with cyst on the right side of thyroid and a 1.2 cm on the left side. Non toxic multinodule goiter is what I was told. I did look at screen when they did the biopsy (negative) and did see the cyst. I was hoping they could drain it but the ENT said that my body would absorb the blood from it eventually. Is the routine?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Cysts can appear and disappear, but I think the cyst is really irrelevant. A 1.6 cm nodule is unlikely to go away and, more importantly, meets the criteria for additional investigation/monitoring.


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