Employing the European Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System 2017 classification in a malignancy risk stratification system for thyroid nodules at Can Tho Oncology Hospital from 2021 to 2023

Thyroid nodules are extremely common, accounting for up to 68% of all random ultrasound examinations in adults. They are mostly benign. Early detection of nodules and risk stratification systems (RSS) are critical for guiding monitoring and treatment. The primary methods for managing thyroid nodules are ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADS) have been developed worldwide, utilizing ultrasound features such as composition, margin, shape, and echogenicity. Many countries have conducted research on the EU-TIRADS classification system, which focuses on key malignant features while remaining easily accessible. The objectives of this study are to describe imaging characteristics and assess thyroid nodules using the European (EU)-TIRADS 2017 ultrasound system and to compare results to histopathological outcomes and the American College of Radiology (ACR)-TIRADS 2017 systems. The study included patients who had ultrasound findings described using the TIRADS system, underwent surgery, and had histopathological results available. The study used a cross-sectional descriptive methodology. In examining 435 thyroid nodules in 347 patients, a male-to-female ratio of 1:5, an average age of 44 years, and an average size of 25 mm were found. Comparing EU-TIRADS to histopathology and ACR-TIRADS, the system’s malignancy risk increased progressively from R2 to R5: 0%, 9.2%, 62.8%, and 93.0%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for distinguishing between benign and malignant nodules were 91.2%, 81%, 81.6%, 91.3%, and 86.2%. The EU-TIRADS 2017 system proved to be extremely useful in assessing thyroid nodules, particularly in the TIRADS 5 classification.