Biopsy Procedures for Thyroid Disorders
If you need to have a biopsy procedure for thyroid disorders, a non-surgical alternative is the most common. Your thyroid is a small gland that sits in the front of your neck towards the bottom. The thyroid produces hormones T4 and T3 to control metabolism, cell energy and reproduction. A thyroid disorder is when the thyroid produces too much or too little hormones. A blood test, the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test (TSH) is performed to find a variety of thyroid disorders. However, finding a lump in your neck or nodule requires a biopsy or tissue sample.
Thyroid Lumps are Common
Thyroid nodules are present in 10-50% of population, becoming more common as a person ages. 5% of these nodules are cancerous while the other 95% are non-cancerous or benign. A procedure must be performed on the nodule to determine if it is cancerous or not. Cancer left undetected or untreated, has serious health consequences and can be fatal. Some diagnostic tests such as ultrasound or injection of radioactive iodine can help classify the nodule or lump and diagnose whether it is cancerous or benign. However, only a biopsy and examination of the cells under a microscope can definitively diagnose the nodule.
Non-Surgical Biopsy
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) is a technically simple method of choice biopsy. It is effective, safe and can be performed within 20 minutes inside your doctor’s office. A needle is inserted into the lump and cells are drawn out into a syringe to be examined later to determine if cancerous. This process is called aspiration. First the nodule is examined manually, or felt with the hands and fingers. Sometimes a ultrasound is performed beforehand but there is usually no preparation needed. Your doctor may give you a blood thinning medication. For nodules less than 3/4 of an inch, a fine needle will be used. For lumps larger than 3/4 of an inch, a coarse needle will be used.
Fine Needle Aspiration
The physician will clean your neck with an antiseptic like an iodine solution. You may receive a topical anaesthetic or numbing solution placed on your skin, or injected with a local anaesthetic to mask the pain. A needle with anaesthetic solution injected into your neck is just another painful process so often no anesthetic is given. A fine-gauge needle, usually a 25 gauge 1.5 inch needle, smaller than those used to collect blood, is inserted into your neck and into the lump. Cells are drawn out and this process is repeated 4-6 times. Pressure is applied to the needle site and the procedure is completed.
Surgical Biopsy
A surgical biopsy, otherwise known as an open or large operation is performed rarely for thyroid biopsy. The biopsy procedure for thyroid disorders is usually done with a needle because surgical biopsy involves cutting the neck with a knife and removing a chunk of tisse to be examined under the microscope for cancer. This method is not preferred because of the risks of anaesthesia, violation of tissue and muscles, bleeding, damage to the gland, and healing time after the procedure.
