Note to first time users: Please note that this calculator aids in the use of the reporting system designed by the European Thyroid Association for the ultrasound assessment of thyroid nodules. Other, to a varying degree different reporting systems such as the ACR-TI-RADS™ and K-TIRADS have also been published. Please consult institutional and national guidelines to decide which system should you use. In any case the exact reporting system (e.g. “EU-TIRADS 4”) should be indicated on the report instead of an ambiguous terminology (“TIRADS 4”).
Notes:
This calculator is based on the European Thyroid Association guidelines for ultrasound malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules, however it is neither official nor is it supported or endorsed by the aforementioned association.
A good summary of the EU-TIRADS system, the categories, and the cutoff values for recommendations can be found in the relevant Radiopaedia.org article. Below you can find some crucial aspects, but if unfamiliar with the EU-TIRADS please make sure to read the article and the white paper referenced below.
- Differentiating macro- and microcalcifications is crucial. True microcalcifications are represented by tiny echogenic foci within the nodule, around 1 mm in size, and without posterior acoustic shadowing.
- As in most thyroid ultrasound reporting systems, Doppler ultrasound is not incorporated into the EU-TIRADS system, and it is not recommended for malignancy risk stratification of thyroid nodules.
- In a similar vein, the use of elastography is currently undetermined and is therefore not integrated into the reporting system.
- Imaging examples of the different EU-TIRADS categories and a flowchart illustrating the different categories can be found in this open access paper:
Last updated: 2021-09-13