Adams Apple In a Woman?

I guess it is possible that you have an adam's apple. All that an adam's apple is, is the cartilage in your larynx (voice box) meeting at the sharper 90 degrees in men. For most women it meets at 120 degrees, but something might have happened that would make it change for a woman... If you want more information: http://en.Wikipedia. Org/wiki/adam%27s_apple

hope this helps

Hi there.

I guess it could be possible for a woman to have an adam's apple. We have both estrogen and androgens which is the equivalent of male testosterone. The lump in your throat could perhaps have something to do with hormones (thyroid/glandular). Have you ever had your thyroid tested?

I have a very small neck and am used to getting swollen glands (especially in the winter). I saw this lump sticking out of my middle of my throat/and could feel it when I swallowed. I went to the doctor and she had me take a thyroid scan and I had a cold nodule on my right thyroid--but I could see a lump in the middle of my throat too.

You should get your thyroid levels tested (hormone/in your thyroid) (through blood tests). Maybe your thyroid/hormones are causing and enlargement.

Did your doctor actually tell you it was an adam's apple (hormonal production is part of what your thyroid does) and that could be part of the problem you may be having.

Yeah, I was always told that women have an adams apple as well, it's just not as protruding as mens. That the way you can tell a male from a female is because of how "visible" it is in males.

The adam's apple is a bulge in the larynx, or voice box, made of cartilage. Cartilage is simply supporting connective tissue that doesn't have blood vessels running through it. Our noses and ears are made of cartilage. The particular section that we call the adam's apple is actually enlarged thyroid cartilage, called this because it is located right above the thyroid gland.

The thyroid cartilage is usually about the same size in both girls and boys until puberty, at which point the area gets bigger in some guys, and thus is more noticeable. While not exactly common, some women do experience an enlargement of their thyroid cartilage as well, giving the appearance of an adam's apple. The adam's apple is considered a secondary sex characteristic, such as increased body hair, and is caused by more testosterone flowing through men's (and some women's) bodies. It has no real purpose.

How to do a neck check , and thyroid cancer facts
from mary shomon,
your guide to thyroid disease.
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Could you have thyroid cancer? It's estimated that this year, there will be almost 26,000 new cases of thyroid cancer in the u.S. -- 19,190 in women and 6,500 in men -- and an estimated 1,500 people are expected to die of thyroid cancer in 2005. Thyroid cancer is actually one of the few cancers that are becoming more common in the past several years, with a growth rate of 3% per 100,000 people each year.
Millions of americans have undiagnosed thyroid problems. To underscore the importance of early detection, the american association of clinical endocrinologists (aace) is encouraging americans to perform a simple self-exam they call the "thyroid neck checktm." examining your neck can in some cases help you find lumps or enlargements in the neck that may point to thyroid conditions, including nodules, goiter and thyroid cancer. And when detected early, most types of thyroid cancer are treatable and curable.

Thyroid neck check

to detect a thyroid abnormality early, follow these steps:


stand in front of a mirror
stretch neck back
swallow water
look for enlargement in neck (below the adam's apple, above the collar bone)
feel area to confirm enlargement or bump
if a problem is detected, see an doctor

Hormone / marker
conventional lab values

(may vary slightly at different labs)
• tsh: "normal" / random
0.3 – 5.0 mu/l

tsh: high–normal 3.0–5.0 mu/l
tsh: following thyroid-releasing hormone (trh) stimulation at 20–30 min
9 – 30 mu/l

tsh: borderline increased
5 – 10 mu/l

tsh: high
>10 mu/l

• triiodothyronine (t3)
80 – 180 ng/dl

free t3
230 – 619 pg/dl

• thyroxine (t4)
4 – 12 mg/dl

free thyroxine (free t4)
0.7 – 1.9 ng/dl

• thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-tpo) < 2 iu/ml
basically tsh, t3 and t4 are good blood tests for thyroid levels.
Get a diagnosis.
Work with a physician who understands thyroid problems. Ask for a full panel of tests, including tsh, free t4, free t3, t3 uptake, and t4 uptake. These tests are considered a complete battery of thyroid function tests. If you can afford only one, however, make it a tsh (thyroid-stimulating hormone). This is the most sensitive test.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the area of your neck just below the adam’s apple. (see figure at right.) a hormone-producing component of the endocrine system, it secretes thyroxine (t4) and triiodothyroxine (t3), which regulate the body’s metabolic rate. Thyroid function is very complex and exerts a profound effect on the function of nearly every other organ in the body. Therefore, smooth functioning of the overall body chemistry depends on the health of your thyroid gland.



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What is a thyroid nodule?

A nodule is a small lump, or localized growth in part of the thyroid gland. It differs from a goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid gland. However, an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) may contain one or more nodules. A nodule is an area of the gland that appears to be different than the rest by being raised or a different texture. Nodules are very, very common. In most cases they are not cancerous, but a physician should evaluate them all. These growths may be fluid filled (cysts) or solid and formed of thyroid tissue. They may be mixtures of solid and cysts and can bleed into themselves and appear to enlarge in a matter of hours. Nodules can be very small, less than a millimeter, or as large as a few inches. They can occur alone or with others of different sizes in the same gland. Nodules are not a disease, but are a sign of an underlying problem in the thyroid gland. The cause of the nodules needs to be determined.



What causes a nodule?

Between 90-95% of all nodules are benign, noncancerous overgrowths of thyroid tissue. Only about 5% are cancerous. Because of the chance of a nodule being cancerous, all nodules should be fully evaluated. The causes of the benign nodules include a cyst (collection of fluid), thyroid tissue that is overactive (hyperactive nodule), or many growths in an enlarged thyroid gland (multinodular goiter).

What are the symptoms of a thyroid nodule?

Most often they have no symptoms, but can press against the neck and cause a sensation of a lump in the throat, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness or a cough. A nodule can produce excess thyroid hormone (hyperactive nodule) and symptoms of hyperthyroidism - fast heart rate, weight loss, feeling jittery or nervous, diarrhea, tremor. Nodules are sometimes found in a thyroid gland that is underactive, a condition known as hypothyroidism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include slow heart rate, weight gain, constipation's, depression and fatigue.

How common are nodules in the thyroid?

In a word - very. It is estimated that about 50% of the population will develop a small, unnoticeable thyroid nodule at some time in their life. Most nodules are never detected and do not cause problems. In fact they are only found by doing an ultrasound, a specialized x-ray of the gland. Only 4-7% of the population will have a nodule that is large enough to be found by a physician feeling, or palpating, for it. They are more common in women and the incidence of nodules increases with age. About 4% of women aged 20 years have a palpable nodule whereas 9% of women over age 70 have a palpable nodule. Nodules are only found in about 1% of men.

How do I tell if I have a nodule?

You can check your own thyroid by standing in front of a mirror. Look at the area of your neck just above the notch where the collarbone comes together and just below the adam's apple. This is where the thyroid gland is located. If possible, have a light shine from the side to throw a shadow over the area. Then tilt your head back slightly and watch this area for any shadows while you swallow. If you see any prominence or enlargement in this area, you may have a thyroid nodule or an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter). See your physician for a more complete check up. You should also have your thyroid gland area examined during a general physical examination by a medical care provider.

What should I do if I have a nodule?

If you have a nodule, you should have it evaluated by a physician trained in the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules. Endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, ear, nose and throat specialists, and endocrine surgeons are experienced in assessing nodules. The doctor will take a careful history for risk factors for thyroid disease (including radiation exposure), do a physical examination and order blood tests to check the activity of the gland. In most cases, the best approach is to have a small aspiration of the nodule done, a procedure called a fine needle aspirate (fna). An ultrasound test may be performed to accurately measure the nodule and check for others in the gland. A thyroid scan may also be recommended to see if the nodule is overactive (a "hot" nodule) or inactive (a "cold" nodule). These tests are not dangerous nor particularly painful. The most accurate test is the fine needle aspirate, which should be done with at least six samples from each nodule.

Does radiation cause nodules?

Certain forms of radiation have been associated with increased risk of cancerous nodules in the thyroid. The risk is small and you have to be exposed to very high amounts of radiation, not the amounts that occur with regular x-rays or sun exposure. Radiation at hiroshima, chernobyl, and nuclear weapons testing in the us in the 1940-1970s have all been associated with increased risk of thyroid nodules and cancer. Regular x-rays or dental x-rays are not a known risk factor. However, if you had radiation treatments to your head, neck, tonsils, or thymus, you may be at a slightly increased risk of thyroid cancer. If you are concerned that you had exposure, see your doctor for a check up for thyroid nodules.

How is a nodule treated?

The treatment of a nodule depends upon its cause. If the fine needle aspirate from your thyroid nodule shows benign, non cancerous cells, then the nodule may just be watched to make sure that it does not grow larger. You may also be advised to take thyroid hormone to suppress the activity of the gland so that it does not grow other nodules. If it grows larger, you may need another biopsy. If the biopsy is inconclusive or indeterminate, it will be repeated. If the second biopsy comes back indeterminate, then you may be advised to have it removed surgically. This was the case with the vice-president's wife, tipper gore. She had two thyroid biopsies that were indeterminate and then she had part of her thyroid removed. Like most people, her nodule was not cancerous. If the fine needle biopsy is suspicious for cancer, then surgical removal is recommended. If you are advised to have surgery, then make sure that your surgeon is very experienced with thyroid gland surgery and has done at least 50 surgeries a year.

What if my nodule is cancer?

In the rare case that your nodule is cancerous, most often it is curable. Surgery is the main way to remove the cancerous nodule. Afterwards, you will take thyroid hormone tablets to replace the hormones made by your removed thyroid and to suppress the cancer cells' growth in any remaining thyroid tissue. You will be followed closely afterward, preferably with ultrasensitive tsh testing, and may be treated with radioactive iodine to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue so that it does not develop cancer. Some forms of thyroid cancer run in families, so if this type is identified, then you may be advised to have other family members checked.

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Santa monica thyroid

My 4 year old daughter has a lump on her neck, looks like an adams apple, this is the 2nd time in a year she has had it, the 1st time the doctor put her on the waiting list for a kids hospital but said if it went away b4 the appointment I should cancel. which I did 3 months later when it went away. Then on Monday morning she got up and said her neck was sore, and the lump was back, I took her to A&E as this is really worrying me, the doctor said he is going to get her an emergency app for the kids hospital. What he said was that this is something to do with when she was in my womb, and is more than sure it has to be removed, can anyone shed some light on this as I am now terrified! the lump is about 1.5cm circular, hard, sometimes is a bit red. My daughter is in great health otherwise..
Thanx for any response xx

If you ever found a reason for your daughters bump, please let me know what it was. My 8 year old daughter has the same exact thing. I have no idea, nor do the doctors as to what it may be. Although she has only had hers for a few months, it is worrying me a lot.