The process of taking a piece from the thyroid nodule located in the thyroid gland is called thyroid biopsy. Thyroid nodules are observed in 4-7% of the entire population in the USA. Thyroid nodules are more common in women than in men. Thyroid nodules are revealed during routine examination or ultrasonography examination. Thyroid nodules measuring less than 1cm are difficult to detect by examination and are often not noticed externally.
Thyroid biopsies are performed in daily practice to determine whether nodules are cancerous or not. However, less than 10% of all thyroid nodules are cancerous.
In Which Situations Is Thyroid Biopsy Performed?
If there is suspicion of cancer when a thyroid nodule is detected, a biopsy is performed. Beforehand, a complete physical examination and detailed laboratory evaluation for other thyroid diseases should be performed.
Some of the conditions that increase the possibility of thyroid cancer are;
- Those under 30 years of age and Being over 60 years of age.
- Accompanied by some symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing and hoarseness.
- A history of radiation to the neck.
- Having a hard and firm nodule on examination
- Presence of enlarged lymph nodes in other regions of the neck.
- Presence of thyroid cancer in the family or oneself.
Sometimes, there is a low suspicion of cancer and a cystic nodule (inside) in the thyroid. In cases with a fluid-filled sac), aspiration can be performed with a fine needle to drain this cyst. The fluid taken is sent for analysis and this fluid can be evaluated for the possibility of cancer.
How is Thyroid Biopsy Done?
Thyroid biopsy is performed as a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). . Although thick needle biopsies were performed in previous periods, thin needles are now used in thyroid nodule biopsies due to the ease of the procedure and the greater comfort of the patient.
The biopsy is performed with the patient lying on his back. The area to be biopsied is cleaned with iodine liquids and sterilized. Then, a simple syringe needle or similar needle is entered into the nodule to be biopsied and cells are collected from there. This procedure is used for very large thyroid nodules. It can be done by blindly estimating the location of the nodule manually. However, the recommended method is to simultaneously visualize the nodule under ultrasound guidance and to accurately biopsy the needle from the desired area. This is called ultrasound-guided biopsy. In this way, biopsy from the wrong place will be prevented.
It is a common situation that the biopsy material taken in nodule biopsies is insufficient. The reason for this is that the biopsy procedure is a fine needle biopsy. Due to lack of material, biopsies can be performed several times on the same patient.
The biopsy process takes approximately 15-20 minutes, including all preparations.
What Should the Patient Do Before Thyroid Biopsy?
Thyroid biopsy It is a procedure that is feared by patients and turns into a phobia. In fact, the procedure is easier than other organ biopsies, and this fear arises from the fact that patients have insufficient information about the biopsy procedure. The biopsy process is performed with simple plastic needles used in blood collection units in the daily hospital routine, and the person experiences pain as much as the pain experienced during blood collection from the same arm during the biopsy procedure. However, performing the procedure from the neck causes patients to experience fear.
The patient does not need to be hungry before the biopsy procedure. However, patients using blood thinners are recommended to stop this medication under the supervision of a doctor until the day of the procedure. However, the drug discontinuation should be done under the supervision of a doctor with appropriate methods or by switching to another drug when necessary.
What Should the Patient Do After Thyroid Biopsy?
The pain felt during the biopsy procedure is instantaneous. It passes after the procedure. Rarely, patients may experience a slight discomfort. After the procedure, pressure is applied to the biopsy area with gauze or a sterile cloth for about 20 minutes. After this period, no bandaging is required. It would be appropriate to pay attention to the biopsy area for a day in terms of infection.
What are the Complications of Thyroid Biopsy?
Infection, cyst formation, bleeding, etc. after biopsy. Complications such as these may occur. However, the emergence of these complications can be prevented with the correct technique and approach. It is a very rare condition.
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