Incidental
thyroid nodules are commonly detected on
ultrasonography (US). This has contributed to the rapidly rising
incidence of low-
risk papillary thyroid carcinoma over the last 20 years. The appropriate
diagnosis and management of these
patients is based on the
risk factors related to the
patients as well as the
thyroid nodules . The Korean Society of
Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) published
consensus recommendations for US-based management of
thyroid nodules in 2011 and revised them in 2016. These guidelines have been used as the standard guidelines in
Korea . However, recent advances in the
diagnosis and management of
thyroid nodules have necessitated the revision of the original recommendations. The
task force of the KSThR has revised the Korean
Thyroid Imaging
Reporting and Data System and recommendations for US lexicon,
biopsy criteria, US criteria of extrathyroidal extension, optimal
thyroid computed
tomography protocol, and US follow-up of
thyroid nodules before and after
biopsy . The
biopsy criteria were revised to reduce unnecessary
biopsies for benign nodules while maintaining an appropriate
sensitivity for the
detection of malignant
tumors in small (1–2 cm)
thyroid nodules . The
goal of these recommendations is to provide the optimal scientific evidence and
expert opinion consensus regarding US-based
diagnosis and management of
thyroid nodules .