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Updated: Apr 17, 2026
A Swin Transformer-Based Model for Thyroid Nodule Detection in Ultrasound Images
Published on: April 21, 2023
The reliability of thyroid nodule ultrasound features and size to predict malignancy in fine needle aspiration
T Danielle Samulski1, Christopher Shutty, Virginia A LiVolsi
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Background:
The prognostic impact of ultrasound features of thyroid nodules is debated. We explore the correlation between nodule size, echogenicity on US, and malignancy.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective review of thyroid nodules undergoing ultrasound guided FNA (US-FNA) at our institution between 01/2008-05/2013.
Results:
In all, 2,403 nodules from 2,293 patients (age range 14-91, mean 54, median 56, M: F-1:3.2) underwent US-FNA. 766 nodules were resected, 337 were malignant (size range 0.4-8.7 cm, median 2 cm, mean 2.37 cm,) and 429 were benign (size range 0.5-9.7 cm, median 2.5 cm, mean 2.79 cm). The malignant diagnoses included: classical variant of PTC 77 (size range 0.5-5.5 cm, mean 1.5 cm), follicular variant of PTC 209 (size range 0.14-7.5 cm, mean 2.1 cm), tall cell variant of PTC 7 (size range 0.5-2.4 cm, mean1.4 cm), poorly differentiated carcinoma 5 (size range 5-8.7 cm, mean 6.42 cm), follicular carcinoma 27 (size range 0.5-7 cm, mean 3.03 cm), and oncocytic follicular carcinoma 9 cases (size range 1.4-7.2 cm, mean 3.2 cm). Of the malignant nodules with echogenicity reported on US, 93 were hypoechoic, 26 hyperechoic, 20 isoechoic, and 76 heteroechoic; increased vascularity on US was seen in 69/337 (20%). On US, 105 benign nodules were reported as hypoechoic, 35 hyperechoic, 43 isoechoic, and 100 as heterogeneous; increased vascularity on US was seen in 88/429 (20%).
Conclusions:
A malignant diagnosis was more common in thyroid nodules ≤1.0 cm. No differences were noted in the US-features of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
