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Abstract Thyroid nodules are very common and are found in 4% to 8% of adults by palpation, 41% by ultrasound, and 50% by pathologic examination at autopsy. Most nodules are benign, with less than 5% of them being malignant. Cytological examination of material obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA), due to its high sensitivity and specificity, is the best single test for differentiating malignant from benign thyroid lesions. Yet, a substantial proportion of nodules are not correctly diagnosed before surgical treatment, and histological examination is required. Sonography has many favourable features, such as detection of nonpalpable nodules, estimation of nodule size/goiter volume, and guidance for fine needle biopsy (FNB). High-resolution ultrasound is very sensitive in detection of thyroid nodules, enabling differentiation of solid and liquid lesions. |