A thyroid nodule biopsy is a medical procedure that obtains a small tissue from the thyroid gland. It’s a minimally invasive procedure used for diagnostic and monitoring purposes. They can send a sample for testing and find whether a nodule is cancerous or benign. In most cases, the doctor orders a thyroid nodule biopsy if your nodule is a certain size or if suspicious ultrasound findings are present such as irregular margins with microcalcifications. In exceedingly rare cases, you experience side effects after the procedure and most thyroid nodule biopsy results are benign. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.

What to expect?

Before a thyroid nodule biopsy, your doctor explains all the risks and benefits of the procedure and gets your consent to perform it. Generally, there are no specific preparations needed to make before the procedure and you can continue most of your medications. However, blood thinner medications need to be stopped for a few days before the procedure. These medications increase the risk of bleeding. The doctor gives you instructions on when you should stop taking medications before the procedure. If you have any questions about medications before the procedure, you should consult with your doctor.

You don’t need to go on fasting on the day of the appointment. During the thyroid biopsy, the doctor may apply ultrasound gel on your neck to obtain ultrasound images to get the exact location of a thyroid nodule. This gel is water soluble and non-toxic but may get on clothes or jewelry. That’s why you shouldn’t wear a collared shirt and take off the jewelry from your neck before the procedure.

After the procedure, the doctor may ask you to sit slowly, and you might be under observation for a few hours in case you get lightheaded. Most patients can easily tolerate the procedure with little and no adverse effects. However, some people may experience bruising, mild pain at the injection site, and transient minor bleeding. The doctor also suggests bringing a companion who can take you home and give instructions on wound care to lower the risk of infection. Your doctor may suggest Tylenol and ice compresses which relieve discomfort.

Results

Your results can indicate 1 of 6 possibilities of diagnoses, including:

1. Benign: Around 70% of biopsies fall in this category which means not harmful in effect. The risk of getting malignancy is less than 3%. However, it needs regular monitoring with a follow-up ultrasound within 18 months (about 1 and a half years) and more if needed.
2. Malignant (cancerous): Only 3 to 7% of results fall in this category which means abnormal cell growth that requires treatment. The most common type of thyroid cancer found in biopsies is papillary thyroid cancer. When a biopsy comes back as malignant, there is a 97 to 99% chance that it is truly a cancerous lesion. Almost all of these nodules will go to surgery.
3. Suspicious for malignancy: If your result is termed suspicious of malignancy, then there is a 60 to 75% chance of cancer. So, you need further testing, and the treatment is mostly surgical.
4. Atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) or Follicular Lesion of Undetermined Significance (FLUS): In this diagnosis doctor finds specimens that may be suspicious and also some features that look more benign. This diagnosis also carries a 5 to 15% malignancy. For these cases, repeat biopsy or genetic testing.
5. Follicular neoplasm or suspicious for follicular neoplasm: This diagnosis carries 15 to 30% chances of malignancy because it is hard to tell if these nodules are benign or malignant unless taken out. Genetic testing is useful in these cases. When needed, surgically removing half of the thyroid is advised after diagnosis and treatment.
6. Non-diagnostic: In this result, the sample doesn’t have enough cells in the sample to make a diagnosis. This happens when there aren’t enough thyroid follicular cells to make a proper diagnosis. Non-diagnostic samples can also occur when only cyst fluid is taken out or for several other reasons like the presence of too much blood. In these cases, a repeat biopsy is ordered, and if non-diagnostic a second time, consideration for a third biopsy, monitoring, or surgery.

If you notice any lump in your neck, visit our endocrinology clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical support. Want to learn what symptoms occur when you have thyroid nodules? Call us on +13473845690 and get answers for all your queries. Log on to  www.doralhw.org or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212 to book an appointment with our endocrinologist to get the best treatment. We have the best endocrinologists who treat these kinds of diseases and helpful staff to aid you during your treatment.