What is Thyroid Biopsy?

Thyroid biopsy is a method used to diagnose whether thyroid nodules are cancerous. It is a procedure performed with an injector on the neck area and completed in a few minutes. There are no incisions or stitches. Although some people may refrain from the idea of "injection on the neck", it should be known that this procedure does not cause any complications.

Why is Thyroid Biopsy Performed?

If the reason for the thyroid biopsy is to detect a nodule in the thyroid gland, it is used in the process of learning whether it is benign or malignant and therefore deciding what course to follow for the treatment. At this point, it is a very effective imaging method.

Who Cannot Have a Thyroid Biopsy?

It is important to whom the thyroid biopsy procedure should be performed, as well as to whom it should not be performed. A thyroid biopsy is not performed in the following cases.

• If the patient's thyroid nodule is larger than 4 cm, a thyroid biopsy is not required because surgery is required. Because when the thyroid nodule is very large, the diagnosis possibility decreases.
• Biopsy is not performed in parathyroid patients either. For example, patients with parathyroid adenoma do not need a biopsy either. Since parathyroid adenomas can be confused with thyroid cancer, diagnosis with different tests is needed.
• Thyroid biopsy is not required for patients with thyroid inflammation, especially for “Hashimoto” patients, which is the most common type.
• Thyroid biopsy is not required for the patient group with very high nodules detected on ultrasound. Since ultrasound examinations yield close to 100 percent results, it can be clearly understood whether the patient has cancer or not. Therefore, there is no need to perform a biopsy on a patient diagnosed with cancer. The patient must be taken directly into surgery.