TI-RADS in a thyroid ultrasound report
Explanation
TI-RADS is a system for describing how suspicious a thyroid nodule looks on ultrasound. A nodule is a lump in the thyroid gland in the neck. The category helps guide decisions about monitoring or taking a cell sample.
What is assessed?
In the American College of Radiology system, called ACR TI-RADS, points are assigned for features such as whether the nodule contains fluid or solid tissue, its shape and its edges. The total places it in a category from TR1 to TR5.
A higher category means more suspicious ultrasound features. It does not prove that the nodule is cancer. A label such as TR4 is an ultrasound risk category, not stage 4 cancer.
Why might a suspicious nodule be monitored?
Size matters as well as appearance. A small nodule may not meet the criteria for a needle sample even when some features look suspicious. A fine-needle aspiration, sometimes shortened to FNA, takes cells from a nodule for examination.
The plan also depends on the wider clinical situation and any previous sampling. Check which TI-RADS system your report uses, since different systems exist. Ask whether the recommendation is for monitoring, sampling or no routine follow-up, and what finding led to that recommendation.
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