Author(s)

Abdullah S. Mirza¹, Husain Alturkistani¹, Elsayed Elbehery², Abdulmalik Alruhaimi², Ahmed A. Mirza², Syed O. Ahsan², Turki H. Alharbi²

¹Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
²Department of Medical Laboratory Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Context: Diagnostic imaging has increased the rate of thyroid nodules detection and improved utilization of fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Objective: This study aims to demonstrate the effects of the most reliable non-invasive technique on thyroid nodules. Methods: Between 2016 and 2020, 190 patients with 214 nodules visiting King Khalid University Hospital were randomly selected and retrospectively reviewed. Following the ACR TI-RADS recommendations for FNA and correlating cytology reports. Two expert radiologists with ultrasonographic imaging experience re-evaluated and reviewed the images. 88 nodules (41%) in 79 patients were excluded because the nodule size was smaller than the FNA recommended size. Results: Following the ACR TI-RADS for FNA recommended selection, 27 nodules (21.4%) out of the recommended 126 nodules were consistent with malignancy in cytology, with overall mean sensitivities, specificities, accuracies, precisions, and negative predictive values (NPV) of 96.4%, 40.7%, 48.7%, 28.4%, and 98.6% respectively. The nodules were subdivided into the TI-RADS 3, 4, and 5. Conclusion: In conclusion, ACR TI-RADS is feasible, reliable, and well structured, easily applicable in thyroid nodules reporting. ACR TI-RADS can eliminate many unnecessary FNAs, providing a decline in costs and complications. We recommend the ACR TI-RADS in our radiology department to eliminate reporting discrepancies and cut costs, thereby standardizing the reports, improving intra-user agreements, and improving overall patients’ health care.

Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid Ultrasound, Ultrasound, TIRADS

Mirza, A. , Alturkistani, H. , Elbehery, E. , Alruhaimi, A. , Mirza, A. , Ahsan, S. and Alharbi, T. (2021) The Reliability of Ultrasound Diagnosis in Differentiating Malignant from Benign Thyroid Nodules Using TI-RADS Selection Followed by FNA. Open Journal of Radiology, 11, 115-125. doi: 10.4236/ojrad.2021.113011.