Thyroid enlargement (goiter)

Enlargement of the thyroid gland, or goiter, can occur for various reasons. One cause is an iodine deficiency, which, however, only rarely occurs in Austria due to the iodination of table salt. Other causes can be Graves' disease, thyroiditis or thyroid carcinoma.

To clarify a goiter (goiter), the thyroid values and antibodies in the blood must be measured, a morphological clarification by means of sonography and a functional examination that describes the storage behavior of the thyroid gland—a scintigraphy of the thyroid gland—must be carried out.