Ultrasonography Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules and Cervical Metastatic Lymph Nodes

ABSTRACT

Ultrasonography (US) has been a primary tool for assessing malignancy risk, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) decision, and management after FNA in patients with thyroid nodules. US also has an essential role for preoperative evaluation of primary tumor and cervical lymph nodes, for surveillance of postoperative patients with thyroid cancer, and for imaging guidance for nonsurgical ablation therapy. In the revised recommendations of Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR), Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), a revised risk stratification system of thyroid nodules, was suggested to increase the efficacy of FNA and provide supplementary information for thyroid nodules after FNA. The role of US assessment of cervical lymph node needs to be emphasized for optimal management decision of thyroid nodules, preoperative staging, and postoperative surveillance of patients with thyroid cancers, and CT has a complementary role for the diagnosis of metastatic nodes in patients with thyroid carcinomas.