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Thyroid Biopsy
About this test
A thyroid
biopsy is a procedure in which a small sample of
tissue is removed from the
thyroid gland and looked at under a microscope for
cancer, infection, or other thyroid problems. The
thyroid gland 
is found in front of the windpipe (trachea), just below the voice
box (larynx).
A sample of thyroid tissue can be taken by:
- Fine-needle biopsy. Your doctor puts a thin needle through the skin and into the thyroid gland. Many thyroid specialists like to use a needle biopsy method rather than surgery.
- Open biopsy. Your doctor makes a cut (incision) through the skin to see the thyroid gland. This method is done when other tests have not found the cause of your symptoms.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 13, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
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