Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Aug;67(8):945-54.
doi: 10.6061/clinics/2012(08)15.

Thyroid nodule management: clinical, ultrasound and cytopathological parameters for predicting malignancy

Frederico F R Maia  1 , Denise Engelbrecht Zantut-Wittmann
Affiliations
Review

Thyroid nodule management: clinical, ultrasound and cytopathological parameters for predicting malignancy

Frederico F R Maia et al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2012 Aug.

Abstract

Although fine-needle aspiration cytology is considered to be the reference method for evaluating thyroid nodules, the results are inaccurate in approximately 10-30% of cases. Several studies have attempted to predict the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules based on age, nodularity, thyrotropin values, thyroid autoimmune disease, hot/cold nodule status, and ultrasound parameters. However, no consensus has been found, and none of these parameters has significantly affected patient management. The management of indeterminate thyroid nodules and re-biopsies of nodules with initially benign cytological results remain important and controversial topics of discussion. The Bethesda cytological system and several studies on the use of molecular markers to predict malignancy from cytological samples of thyroid nodules need further clarification. More in-depth discussions among and continuous education of the specialists involved in treating thyroid disease are necessary to improve the management of these patients. This review aims to examine the clinical, laboratory, ultrasound, and scintigraphic parameters that can be used for thyroid nodule management.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ultrasound parameters suggestive of malignancy in thyroid nodules. Adapted from Lew et al. (14).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Bethesda cytological classification system and its correlation with the risk of thyroid nodule malignancy. Adapted from Theoharis et al. (60).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Malignancy parameters in nodules with indeterminate cytology. Adapted from Banks et al. (50) and Yehuda et al. (65).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Welker MJ, Orlov D. Thyroid nodules. Am Fam Physician. 2003;67(3):559–66. - PubMed
    1. Zeiger MA, Dackiw AP. Follicular thyroid lesions, elements that affect both diagnosis and prognosis. J Surg Oncol. 2005;89(3):108–13. - PubMed
    1. De Groot LJ.Multinodular goiter De Groot LJ. (ed). The Thyroid and It's Diseases (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B Saunders Company, 1995;611–33.
    1. Giuffrida D, Gharib H. Controversies in the management of cold, hot and occult thyroid nodules. Am J Med. 1995;99(6):642–50. - PubMed
    1. Corvilain B. The natural history of thyroid autonomy and hot nodules. Ann Endocrinol (Paris) 2003;64(1):17–22. - PubMed

Publication types