Enlargement of the thyroid gland is called _______.

• A. hypothyroidism
• B. Graves disease
• C. goiter
• D. myxedema

Answer: (C)

Goiter is the term for enlargement of the thyroid gland. The gland can swell for many reasons, including iodine deficiency, inflammation, or nodular growth, and the word “goiter” describes the size change itself, not how well the gland is functioning.

Hypothyroidism is a state of low thyroid hormone production. Graves disease is an autoimmune condition that often causes hyperthyroidism and a swollen thyroid, but the specific term for the enlarged gland is still goiter. Myxedema refers to the severe, advanced state of hypothyroidism with edema and other systemic symptoms, not to the enlargement itself.

So the best answer is goiter because it directly names the enlargement of the thyroid gland, regardless of the underlying function or cause.