Ultrasound

Why?

Ultrasound is an excellent way of investigating neck lumps and looking at the thyroid gland. The cause of the lump and the site it has arisen from can usually be identified.

How?

The scan is similar to pregnancy scans and is entirely painless. A gel is placed onto the skin and a doctor moves the probe across the skin while looking at the images on a monitor. On occasions the doctor may decide that a fine needle aspiration is necessary to obtain more information (see below)