Thyroid Goitre

What is a goitre?

A ‘goiter’ is an enlargement of the thyroid gland and the most common cause internationally is an iodine deficiency because iodine is required to make thyroid hormone. The body’s response to low iodine states is to cause hypertrophy or growth of the gland. Having a goiter doesn’t mean the thyroid gland is over- or under-active. Other causes of goitre’s include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Grave’s disease and multinodular goitres.

Multinodular Goitre

Some patients with large multinodular goiters elect to have thyroid surgery due to compressive symptoms, extension of the gland into the chest, or for cosmetic reasons.