What is the normal size range of thyroid nodules?

When it comes to thyroid diseases, the most common one is thyroid nodules. Although they are not fatal, they have a great impact on the patient's work and life. Therefore, if you suffer from this disease, you should seek timely treatment and not miss the best time for treatment. So, what is the range of the size of thyroid nodules?

Expert introduction:

Experts point out that the thyroid gland is the largest endocrine organ in the human body. It is brown-red in color, divided into two lobes, connected in the middle (called the sulcus), and is "H" shaped. It is located in the front of the upper part of the trachea below the larynx and can move up and down with the larynx when swallowing. The size of a normal thyroid gland varies with age, gender, and individual differences: the weight of a normal adult's thyroid gland is about 15 to 30 grams, the width of each of the two lobes is about 2 cm, the height is 4 to 5 cm, the width of the sulcus is 2 cm, and the height is 2 cm; the thyroid gland of women is slightly larger than that of men. If the thickness of the thyroid gland is greater than 15 mm, the left and right diameter is greater than 20 mm, and the thickness of the sulcus is greater than 4 mm, it indicates that the thyroid gland is enlarged. Under normal circumstances, because the thyroid gland is very small and thin, it can neither be seen nor touched in the neck.

Thyroid nodule size:

In layman's terms, thyroid nodules are bumps on the thyroid gland, which are protrusions that are different from normal tissues on the thyroid gland tissue. They can be found by palpation or B-ultrasound. In fact, "nodule" is just a description of the shape. Generally, those larger than 3 cm are called masses, and those smaller than 3 cm are called nodules. Thyroid nodules are a general term and can be divided into: thyroid adenoma, thyroid cyst, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (equal to Hashimoto's thyroiditis), nodular thyroid enlargement, thyroid cancer, etc., which can be manifested as multiple (multiple) or single (single) nodules on the thyroid gland. In addition, according to the location of the nodule, it can be divided into left-sided (left lobe), right-sided (right lobe), unilateral, and bilateral thyroid nodules. Unilateral refers to nodules on the left or right side, and bilateral refers to nodules on both sides. According to radionuclide scanning, thyroid nodules can be divided into cold, hot, warm, and cool nodules.