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Diseases & Conditions

Got a goiter?

By , Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Thyroid enlargement or nodules are extremely common, but what might they mean?

photo of a doctor examining a woman's neck

It’s so routine, you almost don’t notice it: the light pat-down of your neck your doctor performs during a check-up. Among other conditions, she’s checking for a goiter — an enlarged thyroid — or nodules within the butterfly-shaped gland that might signal a spectrum of health issues or prove completely harmless.

Thyroid nodules are quite common, affecting nearly half of all people by age 60, says Dr. Sara Ahmadi, an endocrinologist specializing in thyroid diseases at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Women are affected four times as often as men, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

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About the Author

photo of Maureen Salamon

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later covered health and medicine for a wide variety of websites, magazines, and hospitals. Her work has … See Full Bio
View all posts by Maureen Salamon

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