Thyroid Biopsy

Biopsy, Thyroid

What To Think About

• A normal (negative) report on a thyroid biopsy does not mean for sure that the thyroid gland is healthy. It is possible that a problem may have been missed. Many thyroid tumors are small, and the biopsy sample may come from an area of the thyroid that is free from disease. A fine-needle biopsy can have a false-negative result.
• Your doctor may not be able to use a needle biopsy to find out what is causing your symptoms. An open thyroid biopsy may be needed.
• If a thyroid nodule is found and thyroid hormone levels are normal, most doctors recommend a thyroid needle biopsy instead of a thyroid ultrasound or radioactive thyroid scan. For more information, see the medical tests Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasound, Thyroid Scan, and Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test.
• If a thyroid nodule is found and high thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism) are present, a radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) test is generally recommended before a thyroid biopsy. Nodules that cause hyperthyroidism are generally noncancerous (benign) and can be treated with medicine or radioactive iodine. For more information, see the medical test Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: September 15, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology & Metabolism
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