Is the thyroid biopsy painful?

The examination is rather painless and resembles a blood sample. Anyone who has already been vaccinated knows the slight pain. The examination is so painless that it does not require a local anaesthetic.

Duration of thyroid biopsy

Thyroid biopsy is a very fast examination. It usually takes no longer than 15-30 minutes. However, several appointments are usually necessary. If the examination is carried out on an outpatient basis, one appointment is scheduled for blood tests and clarification. On the next day the tissue is taken and another appointment is scheduled for a personal consultation and the doctor’s notification of the results.

What are the alternatives to thyroid biopsy?

In earlier years, tissue samples were taken by means of a punch or a rapid incision in the operating room. However, these procedures were more costly and risky, making them rarely used today. In some cases, a sample of the thyroid gland is taken in the operating room when the thyroid gland is being operated on by chance.

Other alternatives are imaging procedures. A good ultrasound may be sufficient for some findings. An X-ray or MRI can also provide information about the thyroid gland tissue.

In all cases, a blood test for thyroid parameters (TSH, T3, T4) should be carried out in order to make statements about the activity of the thyroid gland. Often a so-called scintigraphy is also performed. This involves injecting the body with radioactive technetium, which the cells of the thyroid gland absorb.

By means of this examination it is possible to distinguish between cold and hot nodes. Hot nodes have a high metabolic activity. They have a large number of cells, which all accumulate technetium.

Therefore, they light up more strongly in the examination than cold nodes. These are all examination methods that can increase the suspicion of a tumor. Often, however, a thyroid biopsy is the only method to definitively confirm the diagnosis.

Thyroid gland values – What do they mean?
T4 – thyroxine
TSH