Ultrasonography.  2021 Oct;40(4):474-485. 10.14366/usg.20148.

Diagnostic performance of the modified Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System for thyroid malignancy according to nodule size: a comparison with five society guidelines

• Na DG
• Paik W
• Cha J
• Gwon HY
• Kim SY
• Yoo RE

• KMID: 2520307
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14366/usg.20148

Abstract

Purpose
The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the modified Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS) compared with five society risk stratification systems (RSSs) according to nodule size.
Methods
In total, 3,826 consecutive thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) with final diagnoses in 3,088 patients were classified according to five RSSs. The K-TIRADS was modified by raising the biopsy size threshold for low-suspicion nodules and subcategorizing intermediate-suspicion nodules. We assessed the performance of the RSSs as triage tests and their diagnostic accuracy according to nodule size (with a threshold of 2 cm).
Results
Of all nodules, 3,277 (85.7%) were benign and 549 (14.3%) were malignant. In small thyroid nodules (≤2 cm), the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) had the highest reduction rate of unnecessary biopsies (76.3%) and the lowest sensitivity (76.1%). The modified K-TIRADS had the second highest reduction rate of unnecessary biopsies (67.6%) and sensitivity (86.6%). The modified K-TIRADS and ACR TI-RADS had the highest diagnostic odds ratios (P=0.165) and the highest areas under the curve (P=0.315). In large nodules (>2 cm), the sensitivity of the ACR TI-RADS for malignancy was significantly lower (88.8%) than the sensitivities of the modified K-TIRADS and other RSSs, which were very high (98.7%-99.3%) (P<0.001).
Conclusion
The modified K-TIRADS allows a large proportion of unnecessary biopsies to be avoided, while maintaining high sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for small malignant tumors and very high sensitivity for large malignant tumors.

Keyword

Thyroid nodule; Thyroid neoplasms; Ultrasonography; Diagnosis