A swelling in the neck is easy to see but most candidates are unfamiliar with a methodical technique of palpation of a goitre.

In this tutorial, a famous thyroidologist presents examination of the neck with particular reference to the thyroid gland. He goes through the clinical assessment of a patient with Graves' disease, followed by appropriate investigations and some comments on the management.

Some of the common problems encountered by candidates and the reasons for failure are discussed.

Dr M Afzal Mir, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician, UHW, Cardiff.