Assessment of thyroid nodule malignancy risk in medical radiation workers using ACR TI-RADS

Abstract

BackgroundLow-dose radiation exposure brings medical radiation professionals at risk for thyroid parenchymal disease and nodules. ObjectiveTo classify thyroid nodules in medical radiation workers according to their risk, and to look into parenchymal disease and thyroid dysfunction. Design, setting and participantsRetrospective observational study in a tertiary health facility with 148 healthcare workers working in radiation-containing areas. Main outcome and measuresParticipants were divided into groups based on their sociodemographic characteristics, the department they worked in, and the number of years they had been in the profession. The levels of TSH, parenchymal heterogeneity, and thyroid nodule presence were compared between the groups. American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging – Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) classification was used to evaluate thyroid nodules. ResultsThe presence of nodules was significantly more prevalent in patients over the age of 33 (p = 0.02). The majority of individuals (98%) had nodules that below the American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging – Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) category 4. Age and professional experience both elevated TSH results (p = 0.015, p = 0.033). With age, parenchymal heterogeneity became more prominent (p = 0.04). For the parameters, there were no appreciable differences between the occupation and department. The results applied to both genders equally. ConclusionWith increasing long-term low-dose exposure, medical radiation workers are at risk for nodules and parenchymal disease. However, the majority of the nodules in our study were sonographically in the low risk group, therefore routine follow-up is advised.