What method is used to assess the thyroid gland?

Health care professionals use a thyroid scan to look at the size, shape, and position of the thyroid gland. This test uses a small amount of radioactive iodine to help find the cause of hyperthyroidism and check for thyroid nodules.

Where do you palpate the thyroid gland?

Palpation of the Thyroid Put your finger on tip of your chin (mentalis). Slide finger down the midline and the first hard structure you hit is the top of the thyroid cartilage. (Surprisingly, one does not feel the hyoid bone in the midline, although sometimes its lateral end is misidentified as a hard lymph node).

Is any of the thyroid gland palpable?

The Thyroid gland is palpable and rises along with thyroid and cricoid cartilage during swallowing, in persons with a slender neck. It is soft and approximately weighs no more than 20 grams. It is often not palpable with aging.

Should you be able to palpate the thyroid?

In addition to assessing the goiter’s size, one must also palpate it for its shape, mobility, consistency, and tenderness. A normal thyroid is soft, smooth, symmetrical, and non-tender, and it slides upward slightly when swallowing.

How do you palpate anterior thyroid?

Palpation: Anterior Approach

  1. The patient is examined in the seated or standing position.
  2. Attempt to locate the thyroid isthmus by palpating between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch.
  3. Use one hand to slightly retract the sternocleidomastoid muscle while using the other to palpate the thyroid.

Why would an enlarged thyroid gland be palpable or visible?

Thyroid nodules. Enlargement of the thyroid can expand the gland well beyond its typical size and cause a noticeable bulge in the neck. This can be caused by single or multiple nodules (lumps) in the thyroid or by an autoimmune process.

Is enlarged thyroid hard or soft?

A goiter can be smooth and uniformly enlarged, called diffuse goiter, or it can be caused by one or more nodules within the gland, called nodular goiter. Nodules may be solid, filled with fluid, or partly fluid and partly solid.

Can you feel an enlarged thyroid?

You may feel a thyroid nodule rolling beneath your fingertips or see it move with your thyroid gland when you swallow. A goiter (swelling) may be seen on one side of the thyroid. You will occasionally find it on both sides.