Do thyroid nodules that arise in the isthmus have a higher risk of malignancy?
Ricardo Pastorello, Ediel Valério, Alberto Lobo, Antônio Carlos Martins Maia, Mauro Saieg
Abstract
Recently, the longitudinal location of a nodule within a thyroid lobe was found to be associated with distinct risks of malignancy, with isthmic and upper lobar lesions presenting the highest risk. In the large cohort presented in the current study, the authors input additional data into examining the association between localization of thyroid nodules and their risk of malignancy, with isthmic nodules found to be associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of cancer compared with those localized in the lateral lobes. The findings should bring even more attention to this portion of the thyroid gland, and nodules in this particular location should be followed more closely.