ABSTRACT
Thyroid nodules are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Since majority of these nodules are benign, discerning between benign and malignant thyroid nodules is crucial. Initial thorough history and physical examination with identification of potential clinical “red flags” followed by thyroid function and radiologic evaluation is recommended for all cases. Certain ultrasound (US) features are associated with higher risk of malignancy and several US risk stratification systems exist in the literature to guide the selection of thyroid nodules for fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The most commonly used cytology classification system, The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) classifies thyroid cytology results into Bethesda I to VI with different risks of malignancy and recommended next course of action. The advent of molecular tests in the recent years has considerably changed the approach to thyroid nodules with Bethesda III and IV cytology results, potentially obviating the need for diagnostic surgeries.
