Diagnostic Tests for Iodine deficiency
Iodine deficiency Tests: Book Excerpts
Home Diagnostic Testing
These home medical tests may be relevant to Iodine deficiency:
- Thyroid: Home Testing:
- Menopause: Related Home Testing:
- Vaginal Health: Home Testing:
- Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
- Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
Iodine deficiency Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Iodine deficiency: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the diagnostic tests for Iodine deficiency.
THYROID ENLARGEMENT:
DIAGNOSTIC WORKUP
(Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)
Routine tests include a CBC, sedimentation rate, urinalysis, thyroid profile with a TSH immunoassay, chemistry panel, chest x-ray, and EKG. Thyroid antibodies may be tested if Hashimoto's thyroiditis is suspected.
The most important study is a thyroid technetium-99m or iodine-123 uptake and scan. If the results of these are abnormal, then an endocrinologist or general surgeon should be consulted to assist in the interpretation. If the scan indicates a cold nodule, ultrasonography may be done to determine whether the nodule is cystic or solid. If it is cystic, generally it can be aspirated and followed. If it is solid, a biopsy or aspiration and biopsy should be undertaken. If there are malignant cells or at least suspicious cells for malignancy, surgery should be done. If the scan reveals a hot nodule and there is clinical and laboratory evidence of thyrotoxicosis, the patient should be treated with radioactive iodine or surgery. If the scan shows diffuse uptake of radioactive materials and there is clinical thyrotoxicosis, the patient also may be treated with radioactive iodine or surgery.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs, 2003
Thyroid enlargement:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
The patient’s history commonly reveals the cause of thyroid enlargement. Important data includes a family history of thyroid disease, onset of thyroid enlargement, any previous irradiation of the thyroid or the neck, recent infections, and the use of thyroid replacement drugs.
Begin the physical examination by inspecting the patient’s trachea for midline deviation. Although you can usually see the enlarged gland, you should always palpate it. To palpate the thyroid gland, you’ll need to stand behind the patient. Give the patient a cup of water, and have him extend his neck slightly. Place the fingers of both hands on the patient’s neck, just below the cricoid cartilage and just lateral to the trachea. Tell the patient to take a sip of water and swallow. The thyroid gland should rise as he swallows. Use your fingers to palpate laterally and downward to feel the whole thyroid gland. Palpate over the midline to feel the isthmus of the thyroid.
During palpation, be sure to note the size, shape, and consistency of the gland, and the presence or absence of nodules. Using the bell of a stethoscope, listen over the lateral lobes for a bruit. The bruit is often continuous.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Thyroid enlargement:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
The patient’s history commonly reveals the cause of thyroid enlargement. Important data include a family history of thyroid disease, when the thyroid enlargement began, any previous irradiation of the thyroid or the neck, recent infections, and the use of thyroid replacement drugs.
Begin the physical examination by inspecting the patient’s trachea for midline deviation. Although you can usually see the enlarged gland, you should always palpate it. To palpate the thyroid gland, you’ll need to stand behind the patient. Give the patient a cup of water, and have him extend his neck slightly. Place the fingers of both hands on the patient’s neck, just below the cricoid cartilage and just lateral to the trachea. Tell the patient to take a sip of water and swallow. The thyroid gland should rise as he swallows. Use your fingers to palpate laterally and downward to feel the whole thyroid gland. Palpate over the midline to feel the isthmus of the thyroid.
During palpation, be sure to note the size, shape, and consistency of the gland as well as the presence or absence of nodules. Using the bell of a stethoscope, listen over the lateral lobes for a bruit, which is commonly continuous.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Thyroid Enlargement/Goiter:
Physical examination
(The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter)
A. General examination. Look for typical vital and physical signs consistent with hypothyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. Pemberton’s sign can be induced by having the patient raise both arms above the head.
B. Thyroid examination. Inspect the neck below the thyroid cartilage from the front, using cross-lighting to accentuate shadows and masses. Full extension of the neck enhances visibility of the gland. Inspection from the side with measurement of any prominence of the normally smooth and straight contour between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch is useful. Palpitation is done using the technique with which the examiner is most experienced and skilled. Approach the patient from either the front or behind and palpate using the fingers or thumbs. If felt between the cricoid cartilage and the suprasternal notch, the thyroid isthmus can be used to help locate the gland. Palpation of the lobes can be improved by relaxation of the sternocleidomastoid; for example, the left lobe can be defined better by having the patient slightly flex and rotate the neck to the left. Other useful maneuvers include measuring the circumference of the neck or the dimensions of each lobe. Note the location, size, consistency, mobility, and tenderness of any nodules. Having the patient swallow during both inspection and palpation causes the thyroid to move and aids in developing a three-dimensional impression of gland shape and size. This maneuver can also make a low-placed gland accessible. Categorize thyroid size as “normal” or “goiter,” and subcategorize “goiter” as “small” (two or less times normal) or “large” (more than two times normal) (2).
Testing
A. Laboratory testing. The sensitive TSH (sTSH) assay is the single best test to evaluate thyroid status. Elevated sTSH is highly suggestive of hypothyroidism (Chapter 14.4). If sTSH is suppressed, an elevated free thyroxine index (FTI) or free thyroxine (fT4) measured directly, confirms thyrotoxicosis (Chapter 14.8). In a patient with a suppressed sTSH and a normal FTI or fT4, serum triiodothyronine (T3) should be measured to assess for possible T3 thyrotoxicosis.
B. Diagnostic imaging. Nuclear scans and ultrasound studies are not warranted in the routine evaluation of simple or multinodular goiter (4). Ultrasonography may be helpful in patients with equivocal findings on palpation. Symptoms suggestive of substernal mechanical pressure require evaluation, usually by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
C. Other tests. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) should be performed in cases of a solitary or dominant nodule found by palpation. Pulmonary function tests are warranted with evidence of inspiratory impairment. Barium swallow is indicated to evaluate goiter-associated dysphagia.
Diagnostic assessment
The evaluation of goiter focuses on the history, thyroid palpation, and functional status of the gland. An asymptomatic patient with a simple or multinodular goiter associated with a normal metabolic state does not necessarily require further diagnostic studies or treatment. Periodic assessment, at least annually, to evaluate growth, function, and symptoms is warranted. A palpable solitary nodule or dominant nodule in a multinodular gland should be evaluated by FNAB or excisional biopsy (Chapter 14.7). Goiter with compressive symptoms requires CT or MRI evaluation and referral for probable surgery. Further assess a goiter associated with an abnormal metabolic state as outlined for hypothyroidism (Chapter 14.4) or thyrotoxicosis (Chapter 14.8). Thyroid hormone suppression of any goiter type is controversial, and the risks associated with subclinical hyperthyroidism must be included in the risk-to-benefit analysis (5).
References
1. Petrone LR. A primary care approach to the adult patient with nodular thyroid disease. Arch Fam Med 1996;5:92–100.
2. Siminoski K. Does this patient have a goiter? JAMA 1995;273:813–817.
3. Peter HJ, Burgi U, Gerber H. Pathogenesis of nontoxic diffuse and nodular goiter. In: Braverman LE, Utiger RD, eds. Werner and Ingbar’s the thyroid, 7th ed. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott, 1996:890–895.
4. Tan GH, Gharib H. Thyroid nodular disease: diagnostic evaluation and management [Letter]. Arch Intern Med 1997;157:575.
5. Gharib H, Mazzaferri EL. Thyroxine suppressive therapy in patients with nodular thyroid disease. Ann Intern Med 1998;128:386–394.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter, 2000
Neck Mass/Thyroid Enlargement:
Diagnostic Approach
(Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis)
Patients often present for evaluation of a “neck mass” that is a normal structure such as the hyoid, and they will insist that it is new or asymmetric.
With thyroid enlargement, the mass will be low in the neck and extend across the midline. Occasionally, a prominent thyroid nodule will mimic a lymph node but is in an atypical location. The thyroid gland rises and falls with swallowing. The only other structure to do this is a thyroglossal duct cyst.
In a multinodular goiter, a malignancy should be suspected when there is a dominant nodule or cervical adenopathy.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis, 2007
Thyroid enlargement:
Physical assessment
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Begin the physical assessment by inspecting the patient’s trachea for midline deviation. Although you can usually see the enlarged gland, you should always palpate it. (See Palpating the thyroid gland, page 650.)
During palpation, be sure to note the size, shape, and consistency of the gland, and the presence or absence of nodules. Using the bell of a stethoscope, listen over the lateral lobes for a bruit. The bruit is usually continuous.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Thyroid enlargement:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
The patient's history commonly reveals the cause of thyroid enlargement. Important data includes a family history of thyroid disease, onset of thyroid enlargement, any previous irradiation of the thyroid or the neck, recent infections, and the use of thyroid replacement drugs.
Begin the physical examination by inspecting the patient's trachea for midline deviation. Although you can usually see the enlarged gland, you should always palpate it. To palpate the thyroid gland, you'll need to stand behind the patient. Give the patient a cup of water, and have him extend his neck slightly. Place the fingers of both hands on the patient's neck, just below the cricoid cartilage and just lateral to the trachea. Tell the patient to take a sip of water and swallow. The thyroid gland should rise as he swallows. Use your fingers to palpate laterally and downward to feel the whole thyroid gland. Palpate over the midline to feel the isthmus of the thyroid.
During palpation, be sure to note the size, shape, and consistency of the gland, and the presence or absence of nodules. Using the bell of a stethoscope, listen over the lateral lobes for a bruit. The bruit is often continuous.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Hyperthyroidism is a serious hormonal imbalance that can lead to weight loss, anxiety, diarrhea and other symptoms. Treatments are available, and in...
Whenever you go to a hospital or clinic for a major procedure or diagnostic test, one of the many forms you are given to sign is an "informed...
Sexual contact can sometimes result in problems. An unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases may be some of those consequences. But by...
Health insurance is important to everyone, especially people with chronic conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Tune in to...
See full list of 4 related videos
» Next page: Diagnosis of Iodine deficiency
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
