Does nodule size predict compressive symptoms in patients with thyroid nodules?

Thyroid nodules are present in as much as 65% of the population (1). Patients with thyroid nodules often complain of compressive symptoms, including neck fullness, dysphagia, odynophagia, choking, and dyspnea (2). Compressive symptoms may occur in both benign as well as malignant thyroid nodules (3). Surgery for large thyroid nodules or for diffuse thyromegaly often relieves compressive symptoms (4). Several authors have investigated the relationship between compressive symptoms and thyroid lobe volume (5). The exact relationship between thyroid nodule size, however, and compressive symptoms remains unclear. We hypothesized that compressive symptoms would be more likely to occur in patients with larger thyroid size and larger dominant thyroid nodules. We sought to determine whether compressive symptoms are directly related to nodule size and lobe size, and furthermore, to determine whether patients who undergo thyroidectomy for moderate-sized thyroid nodules experience resolution of symptoms postoperatively