Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Swollen lymph nodes and hashimoto

I am diagnosed with hashimoto and take levo 75.Despite the tests are normal with 50 dose but not optimal so I raised my dose based on the advice of members here who, in my opinion, knows better about autoimmune thyriod diseases than some Endos. Any way, my current problem is the thyriod pain which I  often experience so I did ultrasound and the results shows the enlargement of the thyriod and the inflammation due to hashimoto.however, what I do not expect is the enlargement of the cervical swollen nodes.The radiologist report
(Mild enlarged bilateral cervical LNS shows preserved central hilum).What is this mean? Is this dangerous? What I should do.The earliest appointment with Endo is in late August so I have to wait more than month to know what this means

Thank you for your support

2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Hi Meriam881,

I have Hashimoto's and had my thyroid removed in two surgeries last year.

I had two thyroid ultrasounds before my surgeries, and they didn't show any swollen lymph nodes on the ultrasound (I had a multinodular goiter with lots and lots of nodules, so maybe they just didn't pick up on all the lymph nodes).

During the first surgery, which removed just my right thyroid lobe, 3 swollen lymph nodes were removed, all of them were non-cancerous (my thyroid nodule that was suspicious, along with 2 other nodules were cancerous, but had not spread past the thyroid).  

During the second surgery, which removed my remaining thyroid tissue, 3 lymph nodes were stuck to the side of the thyroid and were removed when the thyroid was removed, and 8 more swollen lymph nodes were removed in a clump from the "central compartment" of my neck.  All 11 of those lymph nodes were non-cancerous.

Swollen lymph nodes can be caused by the immune system's attack on the thyroid with Hashimoto's.  In my case, I didn't realize I had a thyroid problem until it was a really big problem for me (multinodular goiter with some nodules that had to come out because they were cancer, but hadn't spread outside the thyroid).  I'm not sure if everyone with Hashimoto's has lots of swollen lymph nodes, but in my case I did.

Other things can cause swollen lymph nodes as well, but since you have Hashimoto's, I would think that the most likely cause would be the autoimmune attack on the thyroid.

As for the thyroid itself, depending on the size of the "focal hypoechoic focus with mild increased vascularity", the doctor may recommend a fine needle biopsy.  Usually biopsies are done on thyroid nodules 2 cm or larger.  Hypoechoic nodules have a slightly higher risk so they may recommend a biopsy if it is 1-1.5 cm or larger, but since no sizes are noted it is difficult to tell.  Nodules smaller than 1 cm are usually not biopsied, just monitored by ultrasound to see if they increase in size.

What should you do?  I hope that you are less worried about the lymph nodes as they can often be swollen due to the autoimmune attack with Hashimoto's.  If there is still a lot of pain in the thyroid, that is something that you need to talk to your doctor about.  
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Thank you very much for your response.I appreciate it and I am sorry for what you had suffered in the last year.unlike you, I discovered hashi early but this is not because I have excellent Endos,no, in fact, I am sick of Endos here but Hashi for me is thyriod pain,sore throat,and endless problems in my neck in addition to the obvious hypo symptoms.I think you are right about the cause of the swollen lymph nodes.I read posts by hashimoto patients who complained about the swollen of their lymph nodes.I will speak with my doc about it and thanks a lot for your reply which give me some relief and calmed my anxiety.
Avatar universal
The report also indicats:

There is evidence of enlarged thyriod gland right lobe measures 18*15 mm left lobe measures  20* 19 mm

The gland shows focal hypo echoic focus with mild increased vascularity.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community

Top Thyroid Answerers
649848 tn?1534633700
FL
Avatar universal
MI
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.