Thyroid Nodule Work-up

Thyroid nodules are palpable in 6% of adults, while sonography reveals that one-quarter to one-third of adults have thyroid nodules. They are more common in women and increase in frequency with age. Less than 10% of nodules are malignant. Physicians encountering a patient with a thyroid nodule must determine its clinical significance, especially with regard to possible malignancy, compression of neck structures, and thyroid dysfunction.