Assessing the Diagnostic Accuracy of TI-RADS in Pediatric Thyroid Nodules: A Multi-institutional Review

• Published in: Journal of pediatric surgery 2024-09, p.161924, Article 161924
• Main Authors: Srivatsa, Shachi, Al-Hadidi, Ameer, Stanek, Joseph, Horvath, Kyle, Parsons, Lauren, Martinez-Rios, Claudia, Hopp, Amanda, Engle, Samuel, Plunk, Matthew, Shapira-Zaltsberg, Gali, Nagar, Sapna, Masters, Sean, Al-Katib, Sayf, Tucker, Rennard, Atweh, Lamya A., Shah, Summit, Bobbey, Adam, Hoffman, Robert, Aldrink, Jennifer H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diagnostic criteria; Pediatric thyroid nodules
• ISSN: 0022-3468; 1531-5037; 1531-5037
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.161924

Thyroid nodules are uncommon in children and adolescents but carry an increased risk of malignancy when present. The Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) is an adult-validated ultrasound-based risk assessment providing a prediction of malignant potential for thyroid nodules, thereby guiding recommendations for fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Minimal data exist regarding the applicability of TI-RADS to predict malignancy in pediatric thyroid nodules. This study aims to analyze the performance of TI-RADS for children and adolescents with thyroid nodules, hypothesizing that applying TI-RADS criteria would improve accuracy and reduce the number of recommended FNAB compared to American Thyroid Association (ATA) size criteria alone. A multi-institutional retrospective analysis was conducted including patients ≤21 years with a thyroid nodule by sonographic thyroid imaging between 2015 and 2020. TI-RADS scores were assigned at each institution by a pediatric radiologist trained in thyroid imaging and TI-RADS criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy of TI-RADS scoring were compared to existing ATA size-based recommendation for performing a FNAB. Accounting for relative size differences between adults and children, a novel PED TI-RADS category was developed and tested, recommending FNAB for thyroid nodules with a TI-RADS 3 and ≥ 1.5 cm, TI-RADS 4 and ≥ 1.0 cm, and TI-RADS 5 any feasible size. 291 nodules from 260 patients (median age 14.9 years, 78.8% female) were assessed using TI-RADS. Applying adult TI-RADS criteria resulted in recommendation of FNAB for 35.1% of nodules, in contrast to 76.6% recommended by ATA guidelines (p