A biopsy of the thyroid gland is generally performed to evaluate one of the following:

	A palpable nodule within the thyroid gland.
	A nodule which is not as active as the rest of the thyroid gland on a nuclear medicine scan (a "cold" nodule).
	A nodule which appears solid on ultrasound.

All of these can generally be diagnosed by performing a biopsy under ultrasound guidance. Please select Preparation or FAQs for additional details regarding this procedure.