Information and Resources
Thyroid Biopsy
A thyroid
biopsy is a procedure in which a small sample of
tissue is removed from the
thyroid gland and looked at under a microscope for
cancer, infection, or other thyroid problems. The
thyroid gland
is found in front of the windpipe (trachea), just below the voice
box (larynx).
A sample of thyroid tissue can be taken by:
- Fine-needle biopsy. Your doctor puts a thin needle through the skin and into the thyroid gland. Many thyroid specialists like to use a needle biopsy method rather than surgery.
- Open biopsy. Your doctor makes a cut (incision) through the skin to see the thyroid gland. This method is done when other tests have not found the cause of your symptoms.
Why It Is Done
A thyroid biopsy is done to:
- Find the cause of a lump (nodule) found in the thyroid gland. Lumps in the thyroid gland may be found during a physical examination or seen on a thyroid ultrasound test or radioactive thyroid scan.
- Find the cause of a goiter. Symptoms of a goiter include breathing and swallowing problems, paralyzed vocal cords, a feeling of fullness in the neck, and weight loss.
How To Prepare
Tell your doctor if you:
- Take any medicines regularly. Be sure your
doctor knows the names and doses of all your medicines. Your doctor will
instruct you if and when you need to stop taking any of the following
medicines.
- Thyroid hormones
- Antithyroid medicines
- Medicines that have iodine, such as iodized salt, kelp, cough syrups, multivitamins, or the heart medicine amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone)
- Are allergic to any medicines, including anesthetics.
- Have had bleeding problems or take blood-thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).
- Have had any test using radioactive materials or iodine dye 4 weeks before the thyroid biopsy.
- Are or might be pregnant.
- Are breast-feeding.
Before having a thyroid biopsy, you may need to have blood tests to see whether you have any bleeding problems or blood-clotting disorders.
To prepare for a thyroid biopsy:
- You do not need to do anything before a needle biopsy. You will be asked to undress and put on a hospital gown. You will be awake during the biopsy.
- Do not eat or drink anything for 10 hours before an open biopsy. You will get general anesthesia and be asleep during the biopsy. If you take medicines every day, ask your doctor whether you can take these medicines on the day of the biopsy. You can eat your normal diet after the biopsy.
Just before the test, you will remove your dentures (if you wear them) and all jewelry or metal objects from around your neck and upper body.
Before having a thyroid biopsy, you need to sign a consent
form that says you understand the risks of the thyroid biopsy and agree to have
the test done. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the
need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will
mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the
medical test information form
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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise



