In clinical practice, this type of report is usually diagnosed by ultrasound, which is a preliminary diagnosis based on the size, borders, and nature of the nodule. To clarify the nature of the nodule, puncture biopsy is the gold standard.
Thyroid nodules are independent lesions within the thyroid gland, and ultrasonography can provide a clear diagnosis. For nodules larger than 1 cm in diameter, further testing is needed because they are more likely to develop into thyroid cancer; for patients less than 1 cm in diameter, but with a cancerous potential on ultrasound, a history of prior head and neck radiation therapy, or a family history of thyroid cancer, further testing is still needed to clarify the nature of the nodule.
The Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS), a classification of the malignant features of thyroid nodules, is used. grade 0, which needs to be re-evaluated in conjunction with other tests; grade 1, negative, normal ultrasound presentation with routine physical examination; grade 2, benign lesion with zero possibility of malignancy; grade 3, probable benign lesion (less than 5% malignancy); grade 4, suspicious malignancy (5%-80% malignancy) grade 5, highly suspicious of malignancy; grade 6, biopsy confirmed malignancy.
Based on the above grading, category 4 can be initially considered as suspicious for malignancy, with a malignancy rate of 5%-80%, and the size of the node also needs to be informed, and the magnitude of the possibility of nodal carcinogenesis can be jointly analyzed. It is recommended to perform a puncture biopsy to further clarify the nature of the nodule to achieve early diagnosis, timely treatment, reduce the risk of distant or lymph node metastasis, and improve the survival rate of patients.