Abstract
Ultrasonography is the evidence-based diagnostic method for thyroid nodules. The account has to specify the technical used, and has to exactly describe the echogenicity of the thyroid, the feature of the nodules (number, size, echostructure, echogenicity, edges), and the presence or absence of lymph nodes. The malignancy criteria of thyroid nodules are: (1) hypoechoic solid nodule, (2) presence of internal microcalicifications, (3) ill-defined-irregular edges or absence or breaking of the peripheral halo. The nodes' criteria of malignancy are: (1) diameter of 1 cm or more, (2) clear hypoechoic pattern or non-homogeneous pattern, with alternating hypoechoic and hyperechoic areas, (3) cystic appearance (4) presence of internal calcifications (5) rounded shape with increased anteroposterior diameter, (6) long/short diameter ratio higher than 0.7, (7) absence of hilum. When these criteria are present, a histological diagnosis has to be performed. They could change the operative procedure in the patients.
References
Mar 1, 1991·Seminars in Surgical Oncology·T R Dorsch
Jul 1, 1990·Archives of Internal Medicine·E T de los SantosE L Mazzaferri
Feb 1, 1995·Thyroid : Official Journal of the American Thyroid Association·A AntonelliL Baschieri
Jan 29, 1998·The New England Journal of Medicine·M J Schlumberger
Feb 14, 1998·European Journal of Endocrinology·T RagoA Pinchera
Aug 10, 2000·Journal of Clinical Ultrasound : JCU·S K KakkosA G Vagenakis
Nov 14, 2000·Annals of Internal Medicine·E MarquseeS J Mandel
Jul 12, 2002·Head & Neck·Mark L C KhooJeremy L Freeman
Dec 13, 2002·Journal of Clinical Ultrasound : JCU·Ada KesslerMoshe Graif
Jul 12, 2003·Thyroid : Official Journal of the American Thyroid Association·Alessandro AntonelliEle Ferrannini
Dec 12, 2003·Surgery·Maria A KouvarakiDouglas B Evans
Oct 9, 2004·Clinical Imaging·Suzuka TakiItaru Yamamoto
Nov 2, 2004·World Journal of Surgery·Nobuhiro FukunariKunihiko Ito
Jun 28, 2005·World Journal of Surgery·Yasuhiro ItoAkira Miyauchi
Jul 12, 2005·Cancer Treatment Reviews·George H SakorafasVania Stafyla