Table 7.

A patient’s risk of thyroid cancer based on the ultrasound appearance of the thyroid gland and the characteristics of any nodules identified.

Individual or Combination of Ultrasound	Cancers per 1000 patients (95% CI)
Lowest Risk
Thyroid has only nodule(s) that are entirely cystic	0.32 (0.1–1.8)
Homogenous Thyroid	0.63 (0.1–1.9)
Very low
Thyroid has no solid nodule(s), no nodule>2 cm, and no nodule with Microcalcification	2 (1–3)
Thyroid has no nodule(s) with 2 or more suspicious characteristic	5 (4–6)
Low
Thyroid has at least one nodule that is entirely solid or > 2cm or has microcalcification	18 (15–22)
Moderate
Thyroid has at least one nodule with 2 suspcious characteristics	62 (47–80)
Thyroid has at least one nodule with Microcalcifications	82 (59–110)
Thyroid has at least one nodule with Microcalcifications or is both Solid and > 2cm	58 (44–75)
High
Thyroid has at least one entirely solid nodule with microcalcification and a size greater than 2 cm	960 (803–991)