Toxic Thyroid Adenoma: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland (in medicine such a pathology is called Plummer's disease) is a benign formation in which there is an increased production of hormones, a knot increases, and the activity of healthy areas of the gland is depressed. This diagnosis is made only after a thorough examination, as the symptomatology of the disease is similar to other types of pathologies.

So, what is toxic thyroid adenoma? And how is it treated?

Causes of development

To date, it has not been established reliably why there is a toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland. The causes of pathology, according to some scientists, are hidden in gene mutations.

Other doctors, observing the development of the disease, believe that it arises in the same way as the usual adenoma. But as a result of increased production of the hormone, its activity increases.

Clinical picture

Toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland is similar in its symptoms to diffuse toxic goiter. But it affects the activity of the heart and blood vessels more.

There are two forms of Plummer's disease:

1. Compensated. In areas not affected by adenoma, this form continues to produce hormones. Therefore, the body does not show signs of hypothyroidism.
2. Decompensated. This form is characterized by disorders in the formation of thyroid-stimulating hormones. As a result, thyrotoxicosis develops.

When palpation, there are round or oval seals with pronounced edges.

At an early stage of the disease, symptoms are not expressed. But with the development of the tumor, the person starts to have mood swings, irritability appears. During the activation of the disease, unpleasant symptoms appear: tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmia.

At a late stage of a pathology such as toxic thyroid adenoma, the symptoms most often manifest are the following:

• diarrhea;
• Increased body temperature;
• nausea;
• Disturbances in liver function;
• stomach ache;
• Intolerance to high ambient temperatures;
• Weight loss with unchanged diet.

Symptoms of the disease

The main sign of the disease is a round or oval formation on the neck, which shifts during swallowing. In this case, there are a number of phenomena that signal that the body develops a toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland.

Symptoms of pathology are as follows:

• Tearfulness;
• Unreasonable irritability;
• Frequent changes of mood;
• Disorders of the autonomic nervous system;
• hypertension;
• Frequent pulse;
• Rare blinking;
• Nausea and diarrhea;
• Eyedropper;
• Low-grade fever;
• Intolerance to high temperatures;
• Increased appetite in case of weight loss;
• Tremor of hands;
• The appearance of dyspnea;
• In the eyes - dryness;
• Severe fatigue;
• For men is characterized by: infertility, decreased potency;
• Women face migraines, fainting, menstrual irregularities;
• Swelling with constant thirst;
• The swallowing process is disturbed;
• Diabetes can develop;
• Constant discomfort in the throat;
• Periodic cough;
• Changed voice timbre.

Complications of the disease

More often negative consequences arise in such cases:

• Late toxic toxic thyroid adenoma;
• The treatment undertaken to combat the disease is wrong and inadequate.

In such situations, complications such as:

• atrial fibrillation;
• osteoporosis;
• Compression of tissues and organs due to node growth;
• In elderly people - heart failure.

How to identify ailment

The patient's examination for diagnosis is carried out in several stages:

1. Inspection at the endocrinologist. The doctor examines the patient's complaints and with the help of palpation can detect the presence of nodes.
2. Ultrasound. During the study, the location of the tumor is established.
3. Blood test. Determines the degree of hormone production in the pituitary gland and thyroid gland.
4. Biopsy. Produce a cytology of the gland cells.
5. Biochemical blood test.
6. Scintigraphy. Using radioisotope iodine, the gland is examined. The examination makes it possible to distinguish the "hot" node of the thyroid gland (signs of toxic adenoma) from "sleeping" or "cold".
7. Computer tomography, confirming or refuting the results of ultrasound.

Medication

Methods to combat the disease determined endocrinologist after a complete examination of the patient. Most often, the choice is stopped by surgical intervention. Only this method can completely remove the toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland.

Treatment without surgery - drug therapy - is possible at the initial stage. Most often it is prescribed in order to normalize the production of hormones.

Since the disorder is characterized by an unstable hormonal background, medications are prescribed for its normalization:

1. Carbimazole. Blocking the flow of iodine. Do not take with liver disease.
2. "Thiamazole." It removes iodine and reduces the formation of hormones. Contraindicated in low leukocyte count and biliary stasis.
3. Propitsil. Reduces the production of hormones. Do not take with cirrhosis and other liver diseases.

All these drugs are used strictly according to their intended purpose and under the supervision of the attending physician.

After a successful course of drug treatment, surgical intervention is prescribed.

Surgery

In medicine, there are several types of operations.

Surgical intervention is:

• Partial (subtotal), in which only the affected part of the gland is excised;
• Complete (total) - the thyroid gland is removed completely.

Of course, only a doctor can determine the method of intervention, observing how the patient's toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland proceeds.

Treatment in the preoperative period includes not only medical therapy.

It is important to follow a number of rules:

• Observe complete peace, avoid stressful situations;
• Adhere to the diet recommended by the doctor;
• To conduct phytotherapy sessions;
• Fully sleep;
• Exclude being in the sun and visiting the solarium.

After the operation, hormone replacement therapy is prescribed, which the patient must take for the rest of his life.

Folk remedies

There are many excellent recipes of folk medicine for auxiliary therapy of thyroid pathologies. First of all, this is phytotherapy.

It should be noted that herbal treatment can be contraindicated in certain diseases, so it is best to consult a phyto-therapeutist and a treating endocrinologist.

It is important to realize that the herbs do not completely cure the toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland. Treatment with folk remedies is used only as an additional therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to fulfill all the endocrinologist's prescriptions, take medications, observe the diet and the regime of the day. Only then, phytotherapy can have a positive effect.

Below are the recipes that help with thyroid disease. For the use of these tools, a doctor's consultation is absolutely essential, as they have a number of contraindications. In addition, resort to their help should only be part of a comprehensive treatment.

Effective means:

1. Collective tonic. Mix the grass of the three-colored violet, licorice root, walnut leaves, corn stigmas, burdock root, Icelandic lichen and nettle leaves (all components in 2 parts) with grass of the horsetail (1 part is taken). Take 2 tablespoons of a mixture of herbs and pour 600 ml of boiling water. Infuse for half an hour, then drain. Take half a glass 3 times a day.
2. Mixture of buckwheat with walnuts. One glass of buckwheat grind in a coffee grinder. Finely chop a glass of walnuts. Mix with one glass of buckwheat honey. Transfer it to a glass jar and put it in a dark place for 7 days. One day a week there is only this remedy, washed down with water or green tea. Do not use if you are intolerant to honey and nuts.
3. Infusion of seeds of milk thistle. Crush 30 g of milk thistle seeds into powder. Pour 0.5 liters of water. Bring to a boil and, lowering the heat, wait for the evaporation of half of the entire liquid. Remove from heat, drain. Take a day, once an hour, for 1 tablespoon, a whole month.

Dietary food

The diet of people diagnosed with toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland should contain proteins, vitamins and iodine.

The daily norm of iodine is 100-200 mcg. Iodized salt is not the source of the necessary element for the body. And, if this component is still not enough, take "calcium iodide" in tablets.

Prognosis of pathology

With timely treatment, the disease is almost always cured. If all of the gland was removed, then life-long hormone therapy is prescribed.

Patients experiencing this disease should follow certain recommendations:

• Annually consult an endocrinologist;
• Constantly monitor the level of hormones;
• Adhere to the recommended diet;
• to refuse from bad habits;
• Do not stay in the sun for a long time.

Patient's opinions

Many people ask the question: "Can a toxic adenoma of the thyroid gland be cured without surgery?" Feedback from patients who have experienced this disease confirm that it is almost impossible to get rid of pathology without surgery.

Drug treatment, the use of folk remedies can significantly reduce the negative symptoms. Such therapy helps normalize the hormonal background and the patient feels considerable relief. However, for complete healing, surgery is necessary.