The term goiter refers to the increased volume of the thyroid gland, the butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. The thyroid gland is a gland that controls many functions of the body such as cardiac activity, basal metabolism, carbohydrate and lipid utilization, skeletal metabolism, and, in the fetus and infant, proper development of the nervous system. Goiter is not necessarily associated with thyroid malfunction. Iodine deficiency is an important cause of goiter.
