If thyroid cysts are not treated effectively, they can seriously affect the patient’s health. Therefore, it is extremely important to be fully equipped with knowledge about how to treat thyroid cysts as well as how to prevent them. The following article will help you answer questions about this issue to protect your health!

What is a thyroid cyst?

Thyroid cysts are also known as goiter. This is a condition in which cells proliferate abnormally in a location inside the thyroid gland. In healthy people, the thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the neck, responsible for producing hormones that regulate the body’s functions. Thus, thyroid cysts only occur when the function of this organ is disrupted, leading to excessive hormone production.

According to statistics from many studies, up to 68% of cysts are benign. They are about a few mm – a few cm in size and are hollow inside. In contrast, malignant tumors are usually solid or filled with fluid. Furthermore, thyroid cysts can appear at any age. However, women are up to five times more likely to develop thyroid cysts than men.

Thyroid cyst is a condition in which the thyroid gland has an abnormally large cyst.

Symptoms of thyroid cysts

The sooner you apply treatments for thyroid cysts, the higher the cure rate. However, the signs of the disease are not clear, so not everyone recognizes this disease early. You need to understand the following important symptoms of thyroid cysts for timely examination:

For benign tumors

If the tumor is too small, it is difficult for the patient to detect it. Most cases of the disease are detected through regular health check-ups, blood tests, hormone concentration measurements and screening tests for thyroid diseases. During the development stage of benign thyroid tumors, the patient’s body may experience some symptoms such as:

• Feeling lymph nodes, small tumors in the throat area or seeing them when looking in the mirror;
• Chronic dry cough;
• Frequently feeling difficulty swallowing, choking when eating and drinking;
• Feeling short of breath when lying on your back or pressing on your neck;
• Sore throat, hoarseness, loss of voice,…

When a thyroid tumor grows large, it can be felt by hand.

For malignant tumors

Although thyroid cysts are very rare, you still need to be very careful. Early detection can help you completely treat this dangerous condition. Accordingly, the first step is to clearly understand the symptoms of malignant tumors:

• Sore throat, hoarseness causing discomfort when eating and communicating;
• Swollen lymph nodes, lumps in the throat causing loss of aesthetics;
• Anorexia, poor absorption causing malnutrition;
• Increased risk of other diseases;
• Feeling short of breath due to metastasis or large growth of the tumor, pressing on the trachea and other organs.

3 ways to treat thyroid cysts

There are many types of thyroid tumors, depending on the size and nature of the cyst. Therefore, doctors need to base on this characteristic, as well as the patient’s physical condition to flexibly apply 3 ways to treat thyroid cysts as follows:

Absolute alcohol injection method

The biggest advantage of this method is that there is no need for surgery, the patient also does not need anesthesia injection so they can stay awake throughout the procedure. It is considered very safe, easy to perform and does not affect the function of the thyroid gland. The cost of treatment is also relatively low, suitable for many patients. Below are the steps for absolute alcohol injection:

• Step 1: The doctor aspirates the cyst fluid by observing the image displayed on the ultrasound screen.
• Step 2: Inject absolute alcohol into the tumor.
• Step 3: Wait for the alcohol to coagulate the protein causing cell dehydration. At this time, the tumor will be
• necrotic, the secreting cells will be destroyed and the tissue will become fibrotic.

Before treatment, thyroid cysts will be diagnosed by ultrasound.

RFA radiofrequency ablation method

This is the method that applies the most modern technology today. The mechanism of implementation is to use high-frequency alternating current, transmitted through a needle to completely burn the thyroid tumor. This method is not only painless, but also does not leave scars, bringing high aesthetics.

Thyroid cyst surgery

Thyroid cyst surgery has a fairly high treatment risk, so it is only applied when the tumor is too large, compressing the surrounding tissues and causing many dangerous complications. Thyroid surgery is divided into 2 types: Open surgery and laparoscopic surgery.

For laparoscopic surgery, the doctor will make a small incision of 5 – 10mm in the vestibule of the mouth and lips to access both lobes of the thyroid gland. Next, completely dredge the central cervical lymph nodes through the mouth. With this method, the patient is only allowed to move his mouth, eat and drink soft, easily digestible foods after 12 hours. After 5-6 days of monitoring, the patient will be discharged.

Thyroid cyst surgery is one of three ways to treat thyroid cysts.

Above is basic information about the topic: “How to treat thyroid cysts”. When you detect abnormal signs in your body, you should immediately visit a reputable medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment!