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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing enlarged thyroid Enlarged thyroid

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck just below your Adam's apple. Sometimes the thyroid gland grows larger than normal — a condition known as goiter. Although goiters are usually painless, a large goiter can cause a cough and make it difficult for you to swallow or breathe.

The most common cause of goiter worldwide is a lack of iodine in the diet. In the United States, where most people use iodized salt, goiter is more often due to the over- or underproduction of thyroid hormones or to nodules that develop in the gland itself.

Treatment depends on the size of the goiter, your symptoms and the underlying cause. Small goiters that aren't noticeable and don't cause problems usually don't need treatment.

Symptoms
References
  1. Thyroid disorders overview. The Hormone Foundation. http://www.hormone.org/Thyroid/overview.cfm. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  2. Goiter. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/goiter.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  3. Ross DS. Clinical manifestations and evaluation of obstructive or substernal goiter. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  4. Jameson JL, et al. Disorders of the thyroid gland. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies: 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2877579&searchStr=goiter. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  5. Lal G, et al. Thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal. In: Brunicardi FC, et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5027231&searchStr=goiter#5027231. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  6. Simple nontoxic goiter. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152i.html?qt=goiter&alt=sh. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  7. Iodine deficiency. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/iodine_deficiency.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2010.
  8. Hyperthyroidism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152e.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2010.
  9. Approach to the patient with a thyroid nodule. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152b.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2010.
  10. Hypothyroidism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152f.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2010.
  11. Thyroid diseases. Lab Tests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
  12. Ross DS. Treatment of obstructive or substernal goiter. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2010.
DS00217 Jan. 8, 2011

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