Fine needle aspiration 🤔

[birkie]

Hi everyone ❤️

As some will know through my posts, I recently had a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism by a lovely endocrinologist in Liverpool who I'm at present under for this condition.

However to get to see this endo I had to go private to see a parathyroid specialist in bambary, he did a US scan on my neck on Nov 22nd 2022..he identified a nodule on the left side on or around the laryngeal nerve.

He then recommended I see this endo in Liverpool, she as organised scans for me, the first being the F18 pet scan done on Aug 8th 2023, which showed a mass on the right side ( low grade uptake).

I was at Liverpool again on Wednesday 8th Nov to have another US scan, the mass was found quickly by the specialist who recommended I have the fine needle aspiration to determine what the mass is in nature... Not a nice procedure as he had to do it twice 🤦‍♀️.

He removed cells for analysis.

My brain as just realised that on Nov 2022, this mass was not detected by the parathyroid surgeon on the US scan I had with him 🤷‍♀️... so has this mass grown since Nov 2022??

That would mean it can't be a bit of thyroid, as I'm sure the parathyroid surgeon would have detected it as did the specialist in Liverpool on Wed, the Liverpool specialist said he was surprised the report from the F18 pet scan said... ( A, probably a bit of thyroid left behind after thyroidectomy)

(B, probably a bit of scar tissue, which a parathyroid gland could be embedded in)

He noted it looked to high to be a bit of thyroid left over, but did think a possibility is scar tissue with the probability of a parathyroid gland in it, as I had a low grade uptake in that area.

He also noted I was very thyrotoxicosis as my T3, T4 were very high before thyroidectomy my antibodies were extremely high and on my scan it took up in both lobs which requires full thyroidectomy, which I had in 2019.

I'm now awaiting the results of the fine needle aspiration, but my brain is working overtime on wondering WHY it didn't show up on the US scan I had in 2022🤔

Silly question.... Can thyroid grow back????? 😲

[Delgor]

Hi birkie,

Yes, my thyroid has apparently grown back. I originally had a hemi-thyroidectomy around 30 years ago for a multi-nodular goitre in which 2/3 was removed but I found out a couple of years ago when having an US for yet another multi-nodular goitre that I'm now the proud owner of 1/2 a thyroid gland😁

[birkie in reply to Delgor]

Wow Delgor😲... But does it grow back healthy? Or as in my case I was very thyrotoxicosis graves, so would it be as before? Or healthy? That's what my brain can't get around 🤯 I'm having real trouble on the thyroid medication.' T3 only. I had a thyroid blood panel done by the endo in Liverpool, I'd taken my 10mg at 5am..she did bloods at 11.30am, and my( T3 was 11.4..)

She decrease my t3 from 25mg to 20mg..

I just had another thyroid blood panel done last week (no T3 done Eventho I'm on T3 only 🤷‍♀️) and my TSH was 11.58..

She thinks I'm either hypersensitive to the drug or I'm pooling it in the blood stream 🤷‍♀️ but could this mass be a bit of thyroid it's (12 x 13 mm) could it be producing thyroid hormones 🤔🤔

[Delgor in reply to birkie]

Oh dear me, I wish so much to help you but I really don't know enough😢

I wasn't even sure what thyroid disease I may have had and was only told I had gone badly overactive; put onto carbimazole for a year; and then told I had to elect surgery or RAI. This happened around 30 years ago when I believed everything doctors told me and I elected to have the surgery purely because I had nowhere I could go to keep away from my two young sons and had no family living nearby.

Now speaking to you makes me think it must have been graves or else surely our thyroid glands couldn't grow back as we know that they are destroyed by Hashimotos. As to whether the new part of the thyroid is healthier or not I really have no idea but I would assume in my case that it isn't purely because I have another multi-nodular goitre and I'm still trying to find out why.

pennyannie did advise me to look at the Elaine Moore website - perhaps you could find some answers from people on there.

My hospital endo wanted me to come off of all meds for a while but I have refused as I'm already chronically fatigued and can't see how that would help especially as they only go by blood tests and don't want to know about symptoms.

I'm really sorry I can't be of any help to you birkie - I really do feel for you!

Love and Hugs XX

[birkie in reply to Delgor]

No... Thank you for both replys ❤️Thyroid disease isn't as easy as endocrinologist and gps would have us think, it's complicated for sure, but even more so when no one is helping us understand it... Apart from this fantastic site❤️ and thank goodness we have it.

The endo who is actually a thyroid /parathyroid surgeon (I keep calling her a endocrinologist, 😂 force of habit 😂)

She is calling me on Nov 15th so I've got plenty of questions for her👍

[Delgor in reply to birkie]

Only 3 days to wait - brilliant! As for this being such a fantastic site - I wholeheartedly second that - I have learnt a lot and still keep learning from all the kind people on this forum. Take care and will be thinking of you💕

[Batty1]

I did FNB without any numbing agent (not by choice) and actually it was absolutely fine … So if they actually do the numbing agent and use US to assist with FNB it will be easy.

[birkie in reply to Batty1]

I've had it... Last Wed no numbing agent either and one gentleman held the US scan over the mass the other did the FNA... I was fine with the first attempt, but he didn't get enough cells, so he went in again, that's when I gagged 🤦‍♀️.. He actually did note he thought the mass was to high up to be thyroid tissue (full thyroidectomy in 2019) 🤷‍♀️.. Just waiting on results now👍

[Batty1 in reply to birkie]

Oh Boy …. Gagging probably from pushing on your throat. I hope you get answers soon.

[Auders]

good luck to you. I’ve had two fnb under u/s for dodgy lymph node so can sympathise. I did have cold spray first tho. X

[stoyan]

the fine needle aspiration does it hurt?

[birkie in reply to stoyan]

I just had it done last Wednesday, I wasn't given anything to numb the area it was just like getting blood drawn, I was OK with the first one but they didn't get enough cells, so it was done again, unfortunately that time I gagged, probably because he was pressing on my neck.But it's not bad, just a little weird👍