Goiters

A goiter is essentially a swollen thyroid gland and is not necessarily indicative of thyroid dysfunction. Typical causes of goiters include iodine deficiency, Graves’ disease and, more commonly in the U.S., an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or multinodular goiters within the gland that cause it to become enlarged. The primary symptom of a goiter is swelling in the neck, though occasionally a goiter can grow large enough or be positioned such that it also causes coughing and/or breathing difficulties. Goiters that are causing discomfort can be treated with medications, radioactive iodine and/or thyroidectomy.