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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

A Swin Transformer-Based Model for Thyroid Nodule Detection in Ultrasound Images
Published on: April 21, 2023
Ultrasound classification of thyroid nodules: does size matter?
Raissa Kitaguchi Sakajiri1, Antonio Rahal Junior2, Miguel José Francisco Neto2
1Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objective:
To determine whether the size of thyroid nodules in ACR-TIRADS ultrasound categories 3 and 4 is correlated with the Bethesda cytopathology classification.
Methods:
Thyroid nodules (566) subclassified as ACR-TIRADS 3 or 4 were divided into three size categories according to American Thyroid Association guidelines. The frequency of different Bethesda categories in each size range within ACR-TIRADS 3 and 4 classifications was analyzed.
Results:
Most nodules in both ACR-TIRADS classifications fell in the Bethesda 2 category, regardless of size (90.8% and 68.6%, ACR-TIRADS 3 and 4 respectively). The prevalence of Bethesda 6 nodules in the ACR-TIRADS 4 group was 14 times higher than in the ACR-TIRADS 3 group. There were no significant differences between nodule size and fine needle aspiration biopsy classification in any of the ACR-TIRADS categories.
Conclusion:
Size does not appear to be an important criterion for indication of fine needle aspiration biopsy in thyroid nodules with a high suspicion of malignancy on ultrasound examination.
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