Determining Thyroid Biopsy Appropriateness: A Retrospective Study Integrating Clinical Context and Ultrasound Features.

CONTEXT: Thyroid nodules are common in clinical practice, and inappropriate selection of patients for thyroid biopsy can contribute to thyroid cancer overdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to evaluate the frequency of inappropriate thyroid biopsies in practice, following a framework that integrates thyroid nodule ultrasound (US) features and patient-specific clinical factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a single academic center in the United States. Participants included adult patients who underwent their first thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2023, at the University of Florida. Data collection included thyroid US characteristics, clinical factors (eg, comorbidities, patient preferences), and context for biopsy decision-making. Main outcome measures included the appropriateness of thyroid biopsy assessed using a tiered framework incorporating US features and additional clinical factors.

RESULTS

A total of 899 patients were evaluated, with 441 meeting the inclusion criteria and undergoing 481 thyroid biopsies. Of these, 388 of 481 (80.7%) were classified as likely appropriate (L-APP) based on the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System criteria. In 34 of 481 (7%) of cases, clinical factors such as thyroid cancer risk features, comorbidities, symptoms, or patient preferences led to reclassification from likely inappropriate (L-INAP) to L-APP. In 50 of 481 (10%) of cases, limited life expectancy (eg, chemotherapy, end-stage disease) led to reclassification from L-APP to possibly or extremely inappropriate (EXT-INAP). EXT-INAP biopsies occurred in only 0.8% (4/481) of cases.

CONCLUSION

This study underscores the value of integrating US findings with clinical context to guide thyroid biopsy decisions and enhance patient-centered care.