Endocrinology and Metabolism

Review Article

Thyroid
2025 Korean Thyroid Association Clinical Management Guideline on Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Eun Kyung Lee, Min Joo Kim, Seung Heon Kang, Bon Seok Koo, Kyungsik Kim, Mijin Kim, Bo Hyun Kim, Ji-hoon Kim, Shinje Moon, Kyorim Back, Young Shin Song, Jong-hyuk Ahn, Hwa Young Ahn, Ho-Ryun Won, Won Sang Yoo, Min Kyoung Lee, Jeongmin Lee, Ji Ye Lee, Kyong Yeun Jung, Chan Kwon Jung, Yoon Young Cho, Dong-Jun Lim, Sun Wook Kim, Young Joo Park, Dong Gyu Na, Jee Soo Kim; Endocrinol Metab. 2025;40(3):307-341. Published online June 24, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2025.2461

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The increasing detection of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has raised concerns regarding overtreatment. For low-risk PTMC, either immediate surgery or active surveillance (AS) can be considered. To facilitate the implementation of AS, the Korean Thyroid Association convened a multidisciplinary panel and developed the first Korean guideline. AS is recommended for adults with pathologically confirmed Bethesda V–VI PTMC who have no clinical evidence of lymph node or distant metastasis, gross extrathyroidal extension, invasion of the trachea or recurrent laryngeal nerve, or aggressive histology. A baseline assessment requires high-resolution neck ultrasound performed by experienced operators to exclude extrathyroidal extension, tracheal or recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion, and lymph node metastasis; contrast-enhanced neck computed tomography is optional. Patient characteristics, including age, comorbidities, and the capacity for long-term follow-up, should be thoroughly assessed. Shared decision-making should carefully weigh the benefits and risks of surgery versus AS, considering expected oncologic outcomes, potential complications, quality of life, anxiety, medical costs, and patient preference. Follow-up involves neck ultrasound and thyroid function tests every 6 months for 2 years and annually thereafter. Disease progression, defined as significant tumor growth or newly detected nodal or distant metastasis, warrants surgery. Despite remaining uncertainties, this guideline provides a structured framework to ensure oncologic safety and supports patient-centered AS.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Feasibility and Safety of Active Surveillance in Subcapsular Thyroid Nodules with High Suspicion for Malignancy
Yan Hu, Wei Zhou, Lu Zhang, Weiwei Zhan
Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.2026; 52(4): 816. CrossRef
Combined Ultrasound and MRI Assessment in Patients Undergoing Reoperation for Recurrent Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Oncological Outcomes and Surgical Safety
Zimei Tang, Jie Liu, Rong Wang, Gang Tian, Anwen Ren, Jiexiao Li, Yiran Wang, Wen Yang, Peng Sun, Tao Huang, Ximeng Zhang, Jie Ming
Current Oncology.2026; 33(2): 98. CrossRef
Multidisciplinary team diagnosis and treatment of well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma: current landscape and future prospects
Yuanyuan Li, Peijie Wang, Jiaxin Cao, Haiyan Liu
The Oncologist.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Optimal cutoff value of fine-needle aspiration thyroglobulin of metastatic lymph node in thyroid cancer patients
Yang Yang, Xianfeng Jiang
European Journal of Surgical Oncology.2025; 51(11): 110428. CrossRef
Low-risk thyroid cancer: surgery or active surveillance—an application of shared decision-making: a narrative review
Min Joo Kim, Eun Kyung Lee, Sun Wook Cho, Yoo Hyung Kim, Kyu Eun Lee, Su-jin Kim, Woochul Kim, Eun-Jae Chung, Jungirl Seok, Yul Hwangbo, Young Ki Lee, Jinsun Jang, Junsun Ryu, Yuh-Seog Jung, Chang Hwan Ryu, Jae Hoon Moon, June Young Choi, Hyeong Won Yu, K
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2025; 68(9): 573. CrossRef

Original Articles

Thyroid Thyroid Cancer Screening
Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound-Based Risk Stratification Systems for Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Leehi Joo, Min Kyoung Lee, Ji Ye Lee, Eun Ju Ha, Dong Gyu Na; Endocrinol Metab. 2023;38(1):117-128. Published online February 27, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2023.1670

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Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Background
This study investigated the diagnostic performance of biopsy criteria in four society ultrasonography risk stratification systems (RSSs) for thyroid nodules, including the 2021 Korean (K)-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS).
Methods
The Ovid-MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and KoreaMed databases were searched and a manual search was conducted to identify original articles investigating the diagnostic performance of biopsy criteria for thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) in four widely used society RSSs.
Results
Eleven articles were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 82% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74% to 87%) and 60% (95% CI, 52% to 67%) for the American College of Radiology (ACR)-TIRADS, 89% (95% CI, 85% to 93%) and 34% (95% CI, 26% to 42%) for the American Thyroid Association (ATA) system, 88% (95% CI, 81% to 92%) and 42% (95% CI, 22% to 67%) for the European (EU)-TIRADS, and 96% (95% CI, 94% to 97%) and 21% (95% CI, 17% to 25%) for the 2016 K-TIRADS. The sensitivity and specificity were 76% (95% CI, 74% to 79%) and 50% (95% CI, 49% to 52%) for the 2021 K-TIRADS_1.5 (1.5-cm size cut-off for intermediate-suspicion nodules). The pooled unnecessary biopsy rates of the ACR-TIRADS, ATA system, EU-TIRADS, and 2016 K-TIRADS were 41% (95% CI, 32% to 49%), 65% (95% CI, 56% to 74%), 68% (95% CI, 60% to 75%), and 79% (95% CI, 74% to 83%), respectively. The unnecessary biopsy rate was 50% (95% CI, 47% to 53%) for the 2021 K-TIRADS_1.5.
Conclusion
The unnecessary biopsy rate of the 2021 K-TIRADS_1.5 was substantially lower than that of the 2016 K-TIRADS and comparable to that of the ACR-TIRADS. The 2021 K-TIRADS may help reduce potential harm due to unnecessary biopsies.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Enhancing diagnostic accuracy of thyroid nodules: integrating self-learning and artificial intelligence in clinical training
Daham Kim, Yoon-a Hwang, Youngsook Kim, Hye Sun Lee, Eunjung Lee, Hyunju Lee, Jung Hyun Yoon, Vivian Youngjean Park, Miribi Rho, Jiyoung Yoon, Si Eun Lee, Jin Young Kwak
Endocrine.2025; 88(3): 766. CrossRef
Interobserver agreement between artificial intelligence models in the thyroid imaging and reporting data system (TIRADS) assessment of thyroid nodules
Andrea Leoncini, Pierpaolo Trimboli
Endocrine.2025; 89(1): 197. CrossRef
A comparative study of Chinese and ACR-TIRADS diagnostic accuracy in small thyroid nodule risk evaluation
Rasha Nadeem Ahmed, Maysaloon Shaman Saeed, Nazar M. T. Jawhar, Mohamed Tarek El-Diasty, Noha Yahia Ebaid, Mostafa Mohamad Assy
Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Risk Stratification of Thyroid Nodules 10 mm in Diameter or Less: Strength and Pitfalls of the Ultrasonographic Assessment From a Cross‐Sectional Study
Giuseppe Lisco, Anna De Tullio, Vito Angelo Giagulli, Giuseppina Renzulli, Vincenzo Triggiani, Suraiya Saleem
International Journal of Endocrinology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Ultrasound Risk Stratification of Autonomously Functioning Thyroid Nodules: Cine Loop Video Sequences Versus Static Image Captures
Larissa Rosenbaum, Martin Freesmeyer, Tabea Nikola Schmidt, Christian Kühnel, Falk Gühne, Philipp Seifert
Diagnostics.2025; 15(19): 2525. CrossRef
Interobserver Agreement Among Thyroid Ultrasound Operators in Defining Thyroid Nodules as Subcapsular
Pierpaolo Trimboli, Enrico Papini, Jörg Bojunga, Chiara Camponovo, Maurilio Deandrea, Antonio Giangregorio, Lauro Gianola, Giorgio Grani, Rinaldo Guglielmi, Andrea Frasoldati, Fabian Pitoia, Gilles Russ, Cosimo Durante, Andrea Leoncini
Thyroid®.2025; 35(10): 1198. CrossRef
Accuracy of ultrasound in predicting thyroid malignancy: a comparative analysis of the ACR TI-RADS and ATA risk stratification systems
Shaza Samargandy, Aliaa H. Ghoneim
Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Korean Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Patients with Thyroid Nodules 2024
Young Joo Park, Eun Kyung Lee, Young Shin Song, Su Hwan Kang, Bon Seok Koo, Sun Wook Kim, Dong Gyu Na, Seung-Kuk Baek, So Won Oh, Min Kyoung Lee, Sang-Woo Lee, Young Ah Lee, Yong Sang Lee, Ji Ye Lee, Dong-Jun Lim, Leehi Joo, Yuh-Seog Jung, Chan Kwon Jung,
International Journal of Thyroidology.2024; 17(1): 208. CrossRef
Individual Ultrasonographic Characteristics of Thyroid Nodules and Their Cytopathological Correlation to Determine Malignancy Risk
Miguel Ángel Castilla Villanueva, Dania Guadalupe Solis Cano, Ana Amador Martínez, Marco Antonio Téliz Meneses, Jesús Baquera-Heredia, Cesar Eduardo Vallin Orozco, Mónica Loya Ceballos
Cureus.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Improving the diagnostic performance of inexperienced readers for thyroid nodules through digital self-learning and artificial intelligence assistance
Si Eun Lee, Hye Jung Kim, Hae Kyoung Jung, Jin Hyang Jung, Jae-Han Jeon, Jin Hee Lee, Hanpyo Hong, Eun Jung Lee, Daham Kim, Jin Young Kwak
Frontiers in Endocrinology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Systemic therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer with distant metastasis
Eun Kyung Lee
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(7): 484. CrossRef
To Screen or Not to Screen?
Do Joon Park
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2023; 38(1): 69. CrossRef
The 2017 United States Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation for Thyroid Cancer Screening Is No Longer the Gold Standard
Ka Hee Yi
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2023; 38(1): 72. CrossRef
Thyroid Cancer Screening: How to Maximize Its Benefits and Minimize Its Harms
Jung Hwan Baek
Endocrinology and Metabolism.2023; 38(1): 75. CrossRef
2023 Korean Thyroid Association Management Guidelines for Patients with Thyroid Nodules
Young Joo Park, Eun Kyung Lee, Young Shin Song, Soo Hwan Kang, Bon Seok Koo, Sun Wook Kim, Dong Gyu Na, Seung-Kuk Baek, So Won Oh, Min Kyoung Lee, Sang-Woo Lee, Young Ah Lee, Yong Sang Lee, Ji Ye Lee, Dong-Jun Lim, Leehi Joo, Yuh-Seog Jung, Chan Kwon Jung
International Journal of Thyroidology.2023; 16(1): 1. CrossRef
Evaluation of the Appropriateness of Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration
Lairce Cristina Ribeiro Brito, Iara Beatriz De Carvalho Botêlho, Lanna Matos Silva Fernandes, Nayze Lucena Sangreman Aldeman, Uziel Nunes Silva
International Journal for Innovation Education and Research.2023; 11(6): 8. CrossRef

Clinical Study
Effectiveness of Injecting Cold 5% Dextrose into Patients with Nerve Damage Symptoms during Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation: Min Kyoung Lee, Jung Hwan Baek, Sae Rom Chung, Young Jun Choi, Yu-Mi Lee, Tae Yong Kim, Jeong Hyun Lee; Endocrinol Metab. 2020;35(2):407-415. Published online June 24, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2020.35.2.407

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Background
Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe treatment for thyroid tumors, nerve damage is a frequent complication. A previous retrospective study suggested that an injection of cold 5% dextrose in water (5% DW) can reduce nerve damage during RFA. This study validated the efficacy of injecting cold 5% DW for management of nerve damage during RFA.
Methods
Between November 2017 and December 2018, 242 patients underwent 291 RFA sessions for treatment of benign thyroid nodules or recurrent thyroid cancers. Using a standardized technique, cold (0°C to 4°C) 5% DW was immediately injected around the damaged nerve into patients with any symptoms suggesting nerve damage. The incidence of nerve damage, the volume of 5% DW injected, symptom recovery time and the incidence of permanent nerve damage were evaluated.
Results
Nineteen patients experienced nerve damage symptoms related to 21 RFA sessions, including 17 patients during 19 sessions and two patients on the day after two sessions. Patients with nerve damage symptoms detected during RFA were treated by injection of a mean 41 mL (range, 3 to 260) cold 5% DW, but the two patients who experienced symptoms the next day did not receive cold 5% DW injections. Immediate recovery was observed after 15 RFA sessions in 14 patients. No patient experienced permanent nerve damage.
Conclusion
Injection of cold 5% DW is effective in managing nerve damage during RFA of thyroid lesions.

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