by 
The Curious Bag
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An enlarged thyroid is often associated with hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid does not produce adequate amounts of hormone. However, in some cases, your blood work may indicate that your thyroid is acting normal. Instead, the gland itself may still be enlarged due to another type of condition.
Types
Normal blood testing for an enlarged thyroid may indicate a goiter or nodules. A goiter is another term for an enlarged thyroid, while nodules are fluid-filled cysts on your thyroid.
Diagnosis
A goiter is often visible, and it may feel tender when you touch it. Nodules are evaluated by an ultrasound. If a nodule looks suspicious, your doctor will take a sample of it by using a fine needle in order to rule out cancer.
Cause
A goiter is caused by an iodine deficiency or a thyroid autoimmune disease. Nodules can occur in goiters, which have a 5 percent chance of becoming cancerous, according to thyroid-info.com.
Effects
Goiters and nodules do not show up on a blood test, because neither produces nor influences thyroid hormone production.
Prognosis
A particularly bothersome goiter is surgically removed. Benign nodules are suppressed with thyroid replacement hormones, such as Synthroid. Cancerous nodules are removed, along with parts of your thyroid gland.
Source:
Thyroid-info.com: Thyroid Nodules, Lumps, Enlarged Thyroid, Goiter
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