查看文章

To investigate the diagnostic performances of six guidelines used to assess thyroid nodules and to determine whether any of these guidelines identify cancers of aggressive form in this population.

From March 2007 to February 2010, 4696 thyroid nodules that were 1–2 cm in 4585 patients were diagnosed as benign or malignant on the basis of cytopathologic results. Ultrasonographic examinations of the thyroid nodules were retrospectively reviewed and categorized according to the categories defined by six previously published guidelines for thyroid nodules. Diagnostic performances of each guideline for diagnosing thyroid cancer were calculated and compared by using the generalized estimating equation method for logistic regression. Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze predictors for distant metastasis and recurrence and persistence in patients with small …