Post ENT appt for FNA results

[L154C0]

I’ve been replaying my appt over and over and what concerns me is my ENT surgeon basically saying “I don’t know what the FNA results mean”. He said there’s a lot of inflammation and lymphocytes but that’s about it. He’s referring it to MDT team next week and I see him week after. So my anxiety is through the roof - is he doing that cos he doesn’t know? If the FNA was inconclusive, it needs doing again no?

I’m petrified it’s a thyroid lymphoma if there’s lymphocytes? Or is that what Hashimotos does when it’s attacking the thyroid - causes lymphocytes?

Anyone have any insight? I’m off the chart scared.

[helvella Administrator]

"Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and thyrocyte destruction."

nature.com/articles/s41467-...

That is a "grab a quote" - just searched for the first statement like that in a properly published paper in order to post. Quickly. And try and reassure you that lymphocytes are, within the context of autoimmune thyroid disease, quite 'normal'.

[L154C0 in reply to helvella]

Well I do have TPO and Tg antibodies so pretty sure Hashimotos is at play. ENT said something about lymphocytes but not sure if he meant within the thyroid or this nodule itself. He really was babbling on whilst saying “I can’t tell you what it is”. Plus my heart was pounding so loud I could barely concentrate!

[tattybogle]

lymphocytes infiltrating thyroid is what causes the damage to the thyroid in hashimoto's .

[dora_1256]

Hi I have just been through this. I have a large module in the isthmus that was FNA. My ENT consultant put it to the thyroid MDT to rule anything out and she rang me to say they are sure it’s not cancer. There is just a lot of inflammation. I have more blood tests and have been told is autoimmune thyroitis. I have again been sent for more bloods today.

[L154C0 in reply to dora_1256]

thank you, your comment was really reassuring. Great news for you that they have ruled out cancer.

I just assumed the ENT surgeon would be able to interpret the FNA. It’s also frustrating bobbing between ENT and Endo (haven’t even seen him yet and I’ve had Hashimotos antibodies found since beginning Nov.)

The symptoms plus stress of navigating the doctors and waiting for results is defeating me at the moment, so the reassurances from this forum are all I’m clinging on to.

Thanks all x

[Nicewarmslippers]

My FNA was inconclusive. They did a core biopsy which was also a bit inconclusive. So did partial thyroidectomy and cancer was confirmed. But it's very treatable. Even if you do have cancer, it's not terrible. Very treatable. But as dumbledore says: worrying only means you suffer twice.

[L154C0 in reply to Nicewarmslippers]

I think I was expecting the ENT surgeon to be able to say one way or the other. All he could say was it was inflammatory. But from what you’re saying FNAs aren’t always reliable. It’s just when he said “there’s lots of things it could be, don’t start googling” and then mentioned the word lymphoma at which point I think I was so lightheaded with anxiety I’m not even sure in what context he said that.