Different doc now thinking my lump isn't thyroid.

[MrsButler]

I'm not currently diagnosed with anything, I have a lump in my throat that will be being scanned in a few weeks. Previous posts has my medichecks results. Doc had suggestedthyroid / goitre

I was at the doc's for another matter today (broken out in hives over the weekend and my lips swelled up) and she had a look at my lump too.

She thinks it is too high up my neck to be the thyroid. It is in the top part of my neck, slightly to the side and above my voice box.

So I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait for my scan. Not finding that easy.

Can an enlarged thyroid be present higher the neck to anyone's knowledge?

Thanks

[helvella]

The thyroid gland is usually, as you will know, towards the lower front of the neck. But there are many examples of either the whole thyroid gland, or at least some thyroid tissue, being in the wrong place.

One example is a lingual thyroid. During development, the thyroid gland starts off higher and descends to its usual location. But in some people it remains, wholly or partially, in the back of the tongue.

Thyroids can also grow nodules which can extend in any direction from the orignal gland. These can be mistaken for other glands or lumps.

I'd far rather write something reassuring and helpful but, truth is, anything other than a scan is a guess.

Just found a drawing of possible locations of what is called ectopic thyroid: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK5...

You might find several people suggest that hives are NOT unrelated.

Just today someone else ( greygoose ) mentioned allergy/intolerance when hypothyroid, but not now.

[greygoose in reply to helvella]

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[MrsButler in reply to helvella]

Thank you. It wouldn't surprise me at all if my thyroid is in the wrong place. My appendix was, and it had me mis-diagnosed for years until it burst.

Think that's why I'm so anxious about this lump - my past experience of getting a proper diagnosis is terrible.

[Gingersnap202 in reply to helvella]

Well, that is my new thing learned for the day! ... Never knew that the thyroid could put out "satellite" tissue!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Hives is often linked to Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease)

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

verywellhealth.com/thyroid-...

Can see you have had negative antibodies results

20% of Hashimoto's patients never have raised antibodies so scan should be helpful

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[MrsButler in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you

[Julesboz]

Hi there, as other people have said, a scan is the only way to tell. I went to the doctors with a lump in my neck convinced it was my thyroid and my GP told me categorically that it wasn’t connected to my thyroid, poo poo- d my suggestion it was thyroid related, and sent me for an urgent scan telling me she had no idea what it was. It turns out it was a large benign nodule on my thyroid (surprise surprise) which I’ve since had removed.

[Gingersnap202 in reply to Julesboz]

Sometimes, they will resolve on their own, if you get properly treated for low thyroid. I had a nodule the size of my thumb on my thyroid. With proper treatment for hypothyroid, it resolved. ........... I just now decided to see if I can still feel it. With a lot of palpation, I can detect it. It is the size of a pea. I was told 20 years ago that I should have it removed. I didn't want to do that, so got a second opinion and decided to leave it alone.

[Julesboz in reply to Gingersnap202]

Unfortunately my doctors wouldn’t accept I have a thyroid problem (my results are always ‘in range’) so I’ve never been treated and my nodule was 4cm * 3.5cm and was causing an obstruction so I had no choice but to have it removed. I still think I’ve got mild hypothyroidism as my T3 is always low in the range and my TSH is always around 2 or 3. I had the op 4 weeks ago and am waiting to see if my thyroid function has improved.

[HashiFedUp]

I have a goitre and my thyroid takes up the entirety of my throat when it’s at it most swollen - well that’s what it feels like anyway! Try not to worry chances are it’s just a goitre - I e if you have under active thyroid. I’ve learned with Hashimoto’s/health to Take each day as it comes. Try not to worry about anything until it happens. You’ll be fine I’m sure.