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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThyroid nodules are common — as many as half of people may have one. Although the exact cause of most thyroid nodules isn't known, certain factors appear to increase your risk:
- Heredity. If a parent or sibling has thyroid nodules, you have a greater chance of developing them as well.
- Age. Because the likelihood of developing thyroid nodules increases as you grow older, some changes in thyroid tissue may occur as a normal part of aging.
- Your sex. Women are more likely to develop thyroid nodules than men are.
- Radiation exposure. In the 1940s and 1950s, children, teenagers and even newborns were often treated with radiation for benign conditions, such as acne or enlarged tonsils. If you once had radiation therapy to your neck or head for conditions such as acne, you have an increased risk of developing thyroid nodules. You're also at increased risk if you were exposed to radioactive particles released into the air during atomic weapons testing or in nuclear power plant accidents.
- Certain thyroid conditions. Nodules are more likely to form in people who have or have had thyroiditis — a chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland.
References
- Thyroid nodules. American Thyroid Association. www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Nodules_brochure.pdf. Accessed Oct. 9, 2008.
- Ross DS. Diagnostic approach to and treatment of thyroid nodules. http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=thyroid/8983&selectedTitle=1~70&source=search_result. Accessed Oct. 9, 2008
- Ross DS. Overview of thyroid nodule formation. http://www.uptodate.com/online/content/topic.do?topicKey=thyroid/2323&selectedTitle=2~70&source=search_result. Accessed Oct. 9, 2008.
- Approach to the Patient With a Thyroid Nodule. The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch152/ch152b.html?qt=thyroid%20nodules&alt=sh. Accessed Oct. 9, 2008.
- Ridgway EC. Medical treatment of benign thyroid nodules: Have we defined a benefit? Annals of Internal Medicine. 1998;128:403
- Lee GA et al. Disorders of the Thyroid Gland. In: Lalwani AK. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2829111. Accessed Dec. 16, 2008.
- Clark OH. Thyroid & Parathyroid: Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules & Goiter. In: Doherty GM et al. Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment. 12th ed. Ann Arbor, Mich.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2061372. Accessed Dec. 16, 2008.
