Diagnosis and Evaluation of Thyroid Nodules-the Clinician's Perspective

Radiol Clin North Am. 2020 Nov;58(6):1009-1018. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2020.07.007. Epub 2020 Sep 17.

Abstract

Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem encountered in an endocrine practice. More and more thyroid nodules are now being detected on unrelated imaging studies, leading to an increased diagnosis of low-risk thyroid cancers. There is therefore a greater emphasis on risk assessment based on clinical and sonographic features to avoid morbidity secondary to unnecessary therapy. Molecular diagnostics are also being widely used to further characterize indeterminate nodules. The American Thyroid Association and American College of Radiology-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System guidelines are the most commonly used in clinical practice for risk assessment.

Keywords: Fine needle aspiration; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid imaging; Thyroid incidentaloma; Thyroid nodules; Thyroid ultrasound.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / pathology
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Societies, Medical
  • Survival Analysis
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology
  • Thyroid Nodule / diagnosis*
  • Thyroid Nodule / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Nodule / epidemiology
  • Thyroid Nodule / pathology
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler / methods*
  • United States