Thyroid nodules are a general term for thyroid lumps, including: thyroid cysts, inflammatory nodules, benign and malignant tumors, etc. They can be solitary or multiple, and the incidence of multiple nodules is higher than that of solitary nodules, but the incidence of thyroid cancer is higher in solitary nodules. With the change of dietary environment and the development and application of medical imaging technology, its incidence has increased year by year and has become the most common thyroid disease. Some studies have shown that the incidence of thyroid nodules in the general population can reach more than 20%, and about 5% of them are malignant, which is a serious threat to people’s health. For patients with thyroid nodules, the most important thing is further examination to clarify the diagnosis in order to exclude the possibility of thyroid cancer. Currently serological markers and ultrasonography play an extremely important role in the evaluation of thyroid nodules, but the clinical value of flexible ultrasound techniques needs to be further investigated. Fine needle aspiration cytology is essential to assess its nature, while detection of thyroid cancer-related genes, such as BRAF gene mutations, by cytology samples may also assist in the diagnosis. Once the diagnosis of malignancy is confirmed, immediate surgical treatment should be performed. For those benign nodules with progressive enlargement, surgical treatment is still needed if necessary. There are various treatment options for thyroid nodules, including surgical removal, radioactive iodine 131 therapy, TSH suppression therapy, ablation therapy, and herbal therapy. Among them, microwave ablation of thyroid gland is worth mentioning. This technology has the characteristics of small trauma, short treatment time, safe and beautiful, and maximally preserves the function of thyroid gland, bringing the treatment of thyroid disease into the minimally invasive era. In contrast, the efficacy of treatment for thyroid cancer remains to be further evaluated due to the lack of long-term follow-up observation.