What you need to know about needle aspiration of the thyroid nodule: how it is performed and why it has a very important role.
Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid nodule is a minimally invasive procedure, which is carried out to check suspicious formations.
It is not performed only on the thyroid but in other parts of the body as well to understand the origin and also the possible component that determined its genesis.
When a nodule that grows rapidly over time or is visually dangerous, the doctor orders this test to determine whether the condition is malignant or not.
Thyroid nodule needle aspiration: what is it?
Thyroid nodules can vary in size, be liquid or solid, and may never show signs for life. Most people only realize they have a lump when they have an ultrasound, in which case the lump is revealed and the doctor can determine what to do. Indeed, there are those that are kept there over time without any implications and complications. And then there are those that require pharmacological or surgical treatment. To understand how to act, needle aspiration is used. This is the elective treatment to realize if it is a malignant or benign element.
How needle aspiration is performed (tantasalute.it)
With the needle aspiration procedure, you go to take the cells which are then analyzed in the laboratory. Only 5-10% of nodules are actually cancerous. To reach the nodule a needle is used very thin, which – at the same time as the sampling with the ultrasound, reaches the interested party and takes the sample, completing the operation. The whole it should take about 15 minutes, but the suction itself takes less than a minute. So, as you can clearly understand, it’s a very fast action.
Obviously, before proceeding with the needle aspiration all the necessary checks are carried out. In fact, ultrasound studies carefully where the nodule is located, then decides where to enter and how to access it.
No form of preparation is necessary, you can eat and drink without any problems. The procedure is uncomfortable but not painful, due to the nerves you may feel some kind of pressure behind the ear but nothing excessive. There are no risks to fear, except for some discomfort during and after the exam, but only if the lump is located in a somewhat difficult to reach area. A small hematoma may form at the site but sometimes there is no discomfort or pain.