Efficacy of Ultrasound Findings in Diagnosing Thyroid Nodules Correlating with Histopathology and Surgical Outcomes

Introduction: Thyroid nodules are one of the most common clinical thyroid gland problems. Ultrasound and needle biopsy are preferred methods for distinguishing benign from malignant nodules. In this study, we investigated the correlation of pathological findings with ultrasound in operated thyroid nodules of patients referred to Razi Medical Training Center in Rasht, Iran.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the correlation between ultrasound and pathological findings in surgically resected thyroid nodules. Data were retrospectively collected from patient records and analyzed by multiple experts. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Result: Out of 104 examined patients, their average age was 45.66±13.34 years, of which 87.5% were women and 12.5% were men. Pathological results of operated thyroid nodules in 72.1% of patients were malignant, and 27.9% were benign. Ultrasound results of operated thyroid nodules in 76% of patients were malignant, and 24% were benign. In 88.5% of patients, the ultrasound findings were the same as pathological; in 11.5%, the diagnosis was different.

Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that ultrasound is highly accurate in diagnosing thyroid nodule malignancy. A positive ultrasound result confirming the nodule's malignancy dramatically increases the probability of its malignancy.