Thyroid Disease Management

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck responsible for metabolic rate and important in the function of your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, skin and circulation. Numerous problems can develop within the thyroid both in the physical nature of the gland (goiter, nodules, growths) and in the function of the gland (too much or too little hormone secretion). Occasionally, the gland will become inflamed and may be painful (like tonsillitis is painful) or it may harbor malignant growths (thyroid cancer).

At Endocrinology Medical Group of Orange County, we are experts on all aspects of thyroid disease. We are well trained at thyroid ultrasound and have several machines available on site to assist in diagnosis. Our office commonly does ‘second opinion’ consults on thyroid disorders.

Often, nodules or growths will require a needle aspiration/biopsy to secure a proper diagnosis. This is done at our office and we do them regularly, with little discomfort or disruption to your daily routine. At our office, the Endocrine Fellows from UCI School of Medicine may come to observe procedures and our physicians teach them about thyroid ultrasound and biopsy techniques.

We work with you as a team in diagnosing and treating your thyroid disorder. Frequently, there may be more than one method of treatment and we will help you customize what is best for you. We believe an informed patient makes the very best team member!

If you have a history of thyroid disorder or have had lab tests or scans done prior to your initial visit with us, please bring those results (and prior physician notes) with you so we may use them for comparison. The more information we have about you and your thyroid, the better able we are to assist you. Scan reports or the actual films themselves are the best.