User:Mr. Ibrahem/Goitre

Goitre is an enlarged of the thyroid gland. This may result in swelling of the front of the neck. In advanced cases a cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, or shortness of breath may occur. It can occur with normal, low, or high thyroid function.

The most common cause is iodine deficiency. Other causes include Grave disease, toxic nodular goiter, thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroiditis, postpartum thyroiditis, silent thyroiditis, radiation thyroiditis, subacute thyroiditis, suppurative thyroiditis, sarcoidosis, and certain medications such as amiodarone. It can be diagnosed by looking at the neck, feeling the neck, or medical imaging.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. This may include watchful waiting, iodine supplements, radioactive iodine, or surgery. Rates of goitre globally are about 16% as of 2004. Females are affected four times more often than males. It is more common in Africa and the Mediterranea region, and less common in the Americas. The condition was first described around 2,700 BC in China. The term is from the Latin guttur, meaning throat.