Overview
Goiter Is a Physical Finding
A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. It does not identify the cause, and it does not tell you whether thyroid hormone levels are high, low, or normal.
A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. It does not identify the cause, and it does not tell you whether thyroid hormone levels are high, low, or normal. A patient may have a large euthyroid multinodular goiter and feel well except when lying flat. Another may have a barely visible thyroid enlargement with tremor, weight loss, and palpitations from Graves disease. The nurse must assess both dimensions: - Hormone function: Is the patient hypothyroid, euthyroid, or hyperthyroid? - Anatomy: Is the enlarged gland diffuse or nodular, stable or growing, and causing compression or raising concern for malignancy? The anatomy can become urgent even when laboratory results are normal. A patient with stridor, worsening dyspnea, or an enlarging neck mass has an airway problem until proven otherwise.