To identify diseases that affect your thyroid, your doctor may order several tests to evaluate gland size, tumors, and thyroid function, so your doctor may recommend measuring the amount of hormones directly related to your thyroid. function such as TSH, free T4 and T3, as well as imaging tests to detect nodules.
However, more specific tests, such as scan, biopsy, or antibody tests that might be recommended by the endocrinologist when investigating certain diseases such as thyroiditis or tumors of this gland, may also be requested, such as symptoms that may indicate thyroid problems.
The most requested examples for thyroid evaluate are
This blood test shows hormone hormones that work with thyroid function and is indicated by your doctor as a guide to detecting and evaluating hypothyroidism.
Reference values may vary depending on the person’s age, if the lab that performed the test is embarrassed, so normal values may be:
Total T4
After identifying the change in thyroid function, your doctor will assess whether more tests need to be asked to help identify the cause of these changes as an ultrasound that measures the amount of antibodies, for example.
View possible TSH test results
Blood tests could also be used to measure antibodies against the thyroid gland, which could be produced by your body in certain autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease, for example, the main ones are:
Thyroid autoantibodys should only be requested by your doctor if thyroid hormones are altered or when thyroid disease is suspected, to help clarify their origin.
A thyroid ultrasound is performed to assess the size of the gland and the presence of alterations such as cysts, tumors, goiter or nodules, although this scan may not inform you of a cancerous injury, it is very useful to detect its characteristics and guide the puncture of nodules or cysts to help with the diagnosis.
The scan is an exam that uses a small amount of radioactive iodine and a special camera to get an image of the thyroid and identify the level of activity of a ganglion.
It is primarily indicated to investigate cancer-indicative nodules whenever hyperthyroidism is suspected caused by a hormone-secreting nodule, also called a hot hyperfunctional nodule.
Thyroid self-examination can be used to identify the presence of missing cysts or nodules in the gland, which is important to help detect any early alterations and prevent complications of the disease, and should be performed primarily by women over the age of 35. . family history of thyroid problems.
To do this, follow these steps
If you notice changes in your thyroid, it’s important to see an endocrinologist or family doctor for full evaluation with tests that can confirm rejection of an alteration in this gland.
The biopsy, also called a puncture, is done to identify whether the thyroid lump is benign or malignant During the exam, your doctor inserts a small amount of water into the nodule and removes a small amount of fluid that forms it so it can be evaluated in the lab.
Thyroid biopsy can cause pain or discomfort because this test is not done under anesthesia and your doctor may move it during the exam to try to remove the pieces from various parts of the nodule or to suck in more fluid. fast and lasts about 10 minutes, after which the person should stay with a cotton swab instead of inserting for a few hours.
These tests are necessary in the following cases
The type of examination to be carried out must be indicated by the doctor depending on what is to be evaluated and the main routes in each case.