Physical examination

A 20-year-old woman notices a swelling in her neck, just to the left of the midline. Physical examination suggests a nontender 1.5-cm thyroid lesion, and thyroid function tests reveal normal serum thyroid hormone levels.

A radioisotope scintiscan demonstrates very little uptake of the iodine in the nodule, consistent with a nonfunctioning nodule, or “cold” nodule.