Research on Clinical, Subclinical Characteristic of Incidental Thyroid Nodules

Background: Incidental thyroid nodules has become more prevalent in recent years due to applying diagnostic imaging tests. Many studies show that the rate of thyroid cancer in this group of patients is relatively high. Objective: To assess patients with incidentally detected thyroid nodules, including those who were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study, which involved 208 patients with 389 thyroid nodules detected by thyroid ultrasound. All patients have thyroid function tests. 272 nodules were performed fine-needle aspiration. Patients with thyroid cancer were assessed histopathology after removal. Results: The participants’ mean age was 47.22 ± 12.02. The female / male ratio is 6.7/1. No patients had history of head and neck irradiation or living in epidemiological areas with high prevalence of goiter. TSH level: 96.2% normal, 2.4% low, 1.4% high. In thyroid cancer group: 100% of patients had normal thyroid function. Nodule characteristics on ultrasound: Majority of thyroid nodules had diameters less than 1.5 cm (85.6%), multi-nodularity(52.9%). The largest carcinoma nodule was 2.35 cm, 22.2% of patients with thyroid cancer had ≥ 3 nodules. The malignancy rate of TIRADS 5 was 70.6%. FNA results of 272 thyroid nodules: the majority were Bethesda II (74,2%); the incidence of carcinoma (Bethesda V, VI) is 17.4%. 36 patients account for 17,3%, with 42 nodules were performed surgery, the results of histopathology were 100% of papillary thyroid carcinoma, which was consistent with cytological results. Conclusion: Thyroid nodules are common in women patients at the age of 31-60 with normal thyroid function. Most of them are <1.5 cm in size. There are 17.3% of patients were thyroid carcinoma.