Thyroid imaging reporting and data system with MRI morphological features for thyroid nodules: diagnostic performance and unnecessary biopsy rate

• This study used MRI morphological features to improve College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR-TIRADS).

• The performance of the improved ACR-TIRADS is superior to that of the conventional ACR-TIRADS.

• Magnetic resonance morphology features may reduce unnecessary biopsy rate while maintaining a low missed diagnosis rate, thus avoiding unnecessary invasive diagnosis and treatment.

Background To assess MRI-based morphological features in improving the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR-TIRADS) for categorizing thyroid nodules.

Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 728 thyroid nodules (453 benign and 275 malignant) that postoperative pathology confirmed.

Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to find independent predictors of MRI morphological features in benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

The improved method involved increasing the ACR-TIRADS level by one when there are independent predictors of MRI-based morphological features, whether individually or in combination, and conversely decreasing it by one.

The study compared the performance of conventional ACR-TIRADS and different improved versions.

Results Among the various MRI morphological features analyzed, restricted diffusion and reversed halo sign were determined to be significant independent risk factors for malignant thyroid nodules (OR = 45.1, 95% CI = 23.2–87.5, P  < 0.001; OR = 38.0, 95% CI = 20.4–70.7, P  < 0.001) and were subsequently included in the final assessment of performance.

The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) for both the conventional and four improved ACR-TIRADSs were 0.887 (95% CI: 0.861–0.909), 0.945 (95% CI: 0.926–0.961), 0.947 (95% CI: 0.928–0.962), 0.945 (95% CI: 0.926–0.961) and 0.951 (95% CI: 0.932–0.965), respectively.

The unnecessary biopsy rates for the conventional and four improved ACR-TIRADSs were 62.8%, 30.0%, 27.1%, 26.8% and 29.1%, respectively, while the malignant missed diagnosis rates were 1.1%, 2.8%, 3.7%, 5.4% and 1.2%.

Conclusions MRI morphological features with ACR-TIRADS has improved diagnostic performance and reduce unnecessary biopsy rate while maintaining a low malignant missed diagnosis rate.