What does hot and cold nodules mean?

Thyroid nodule points four categories, cold nodule, hot nodule, warm nodules and cold nodules.


Many thyroid diseases can cause thyroid nodules, including the endocrine aspects of hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and surgical aspects of nodular goiter, thyroid adenoma, thyroid cancer, and so on. At present there are several pairs of thyroid nodule detection methods, of which the most commonly used radionuclide examination can be observed in the thyroid gland size, location, shape and 131 sodium iodide absorption distribution. Nodules on radionuclide scan according to the uptake of radionuclides ability to sub-four types of thyroid nodule, cold nodule, hot nodule, warm nodules and cold nodules.

Cold thyroid nodule refers to the use of radioactive elements for thyroid scan, nodule location in the vicinity of radioactive than the normal thyroid tissue significantly reduced or nearly non-radioactive, more common in thyroid cancer, but thyroid cyst, adenoma, bleeding, fibrosis, calcification , thyroiditis and so can see the cold nodule. Such as the nodule location close to the rate of absorption of iodine 131, or the same in normal thyroid tissue, is called warm nodules, it is a benign thyroid adenoma. Such as the nodule location is higher than the rate of absorption of 131 iodine for normal thyroid tissue hot nodule, hot nodule is a function of autonomously functioning thyroid nodule, is almost benign.

Results show that the thyroid radionuclide scan images, hot nodule a warm nodule a cold nodule, the possibility of thyroid cancer in ascending order, cold nodule, about 16.1% ~ 54.5% for the cancer, the boundary clear cold knot Day 80% ~ 90% as benign, while the irregular boundaries or defects are more malignant. It is noteworthy that, although the majority of the performance of the cold nodule of thyroid cancer, but some well-differentiated thyroid cancer, intake of radionuclides which can also be expressed as warm nodules, therefore, warm nodules and thyroid cancer can not be completely ruled out, should be combined with history , medical examination and other related inspection, a comprehensive analysis in order to make a clinical diagnosis.