Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentRisks
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Risks
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your throat that produces hormones affecting a number of bodily processes, from metabolism to heart rate.Thyroid diseaseis relatively common, and having a thyroid adenoma—a benign cyst—is one presentation of thyroid disease.
A thyroid adenoma is a noncancerous lesion on the thyroid. Although they’re not cancer, they can still affect your overall health. Thyroid adenomas can be inactive, meaning they don’t produce thyroid hormones, or active, meaning they produce hormones.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
In rare cases—about 1% of people—an active thyroid adenoma can causehyperthyroidism, or an overproduction of thyroid hormones. However, most patients with a thyroid adenoma do not have any symptoms.
Learn more about thyroid adenomas, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Symptoms of Thyroid Adenoma
About 7% of people have some sort of abnormal growth on their thyroids.A thyroid adenoma is one type of growth and is estimated to occur in 3% to 4% of people.
Unlike other thyroid growths—including cysts, goiters, or cancer—thyroid adenomas usually present with just one nodule rather than many.
Thyroid adenomas are not inherently harmful, and most people with thyroid adenomas don’t experience any symptoms.However, in some cases, having an active adenoma—also known as a toxic thyroid adenoma—can cause the thyroid to produce too many hormones. This can lead to symptoms ofhyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, including:
In addition to hyperthyroidism, people with a thyroid adenoma might experience vocal changes, hoarseness, and trouble swallowing or breathing. These symptoms occur when the thyroid adenoma is pushing against thelarynx,trachea(windpipe), and other structures in the throat.
Since most people don’t have symptoms of a thyroid adenoma, these lesions are often caught during medical imaging procedures for other health concerns.
After spotting an unusual growth on the thyroid, healthcare providers need to determine whether the growth is affecting hormone levels, and whether or not it is cancerous. In order to diagnose a thyroid adenoma, healthcare providers have to rule out other thyroid conditions that present in a similar way.
To do this, practitioners will order:
This can also help determine the likelihood that a growth is cancerous since malignant and benign thyroid growths affect hormone levels in different ways.
If you are not experiencing symptoms from your thyroid adenoma, healthcare providers might recommend no treatment. In that case, they’ll monitor the size of the adenoma and your thyroid levels every six to 12 months to make sure any complications that arise down the line are detected early.
Although Iodine-123 is radioactive, it is not harmful to thyroid cells and you do not need to take special precautions after taking it.
In some cases, where the symptoms of a thyroid adenoma are severe, your healthcare provider might recommend surgery. This is usually used for an immediate resolution of symptoms, including hyperthyroidism or compression on the windpipe.There are three types of surgery used in patients with thyroid adenomas:
Your healthcare provider will consider the position and size of your adenoma, your symptoms, and any other health considerations you have in order to determine the best treatment for you.
Risk for Thyroid Adenoma
Most people have a low risk—less than 5%—of developing a thyroid adenoma. However, certain factors can increase your risk for a thyroid adenoma, including:
A Word From Verywell
The thyroid is an underappreciated body part. Most people don’t realize its importance until something goes wrong. Having a healthy thyroid is critical to your health and well-being, so learning that you have a thyroid adenoma can be scary. Although you might not have symptoms, you should take comfort in knowing that your healthcare provider will be monitoring your thyroid health closely going forward. This can help prevent additional complications, like changes to your voice or energy levels.
If you’ve already experienced symptoms from your thyroid adenoma, a diagnosis might bring relief. Since there is a wide range of treatment options for thyroid adenoma, you should have a candid conversation with your healthcare provider about the benefits and drawbacks of each. That way, you can work together to decide which thyroid adenoma treatment will give you the best quality of life.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mulita, Francesk.Thyroid Adenoma.MedlinePlus.Hyperthyroidism.Endocrine Society.Thyroid Nodules.American Thyroid Association.Radioactive idodine FAQ.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iodine level, United States.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mulita, Francesk.Thyroid Adenoma.MedlinePlus.Hyperthyroidism.Endocrine Society.Thyroid Nodules.American Thyroid Association.Radioactive idodine FAQ.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iodine level, United States.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mulita, Francesk.Thyroid Adenoma.MedlinePlus.Hyperthyroidism.Endocrine Society.Thyroid Nodules.American Thyroid Association.Radioactive idodine FAQ.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iodine level, United States.
Mulita, Francesk.Thyroid Adenoma.
MedlinePlus.Hyperthyroidism.
Endocrine Society.Thyroid Nodules.
American Thyroid Association.Radioactive idodine FAQ.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Iodine level, United States.
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