A pronounced swelling of the neck due to an enlarged thyroid gland is called?

• A. Goiter
• B. Laryngocele
• C. Adenoma
• D. Thyroglossal cyst

Answer: (A)

Goiter is the term for enlargement of the thyroid gland that produces a noticeable swelling in the anterior neck. This swelling can involve the whole gland (diffuse) or be due to multiple nodules (multinodular goiter). The key idea is that the swelling originates from the thyroid itself, which is why the description fits goiter exactly.

Other conditions describe different neck problems: laryngocele is an air-filled dilation of the laryngeal saccule, not enlargement of the thyroid; a thyroid adenoma is a single benign thyroid tumor and may create a lump, but it does not by itself define a generalized neck swelling from an enlarged thyroid; a thyroglossal duct cyst is a congenital midline neck mass that moves with tongue protrusion and is not an enlargement of the thyroid gland.