Ianni et al reported the CUT score to describe a thyroid nodule. This can help to determine if the nodule is benign or malignant. The authors are from Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome.
CUT is an acronym for clinical, ultrasonographic, and thyroid cytology.
Patient selection: one or more thyroid nodules
Parameters:
(1) family history of thyroid cancer
(2) prior irradiation of head or neck
(3) sex
(4) nodule height greater than width
(5) halo sign
(6) microcalcifications
(7) margins
(8) echogenicity
(9) nodule structure
(10) intranodular vascularization
(11) nodule diameter in cm
(12) number of nodules
(13) thyroid cytology
|
Parameter
|
Finding
|
Points
|
|
family history
|
no
|
0
|
|
|
yes
|
0.5
|
|
prior irradiation
|
no
|
0
|
|
|
yes
|
0.25
|
|
sex
|
female
|
0
|
|
|
male
|
0.25
|
|
nodule height and width
|
height > width
|
1.5
|
|
|
otehr
|
0
|
|
halo sign
|
absent
|
1.5
|
|
|
present
|
0
|
|
microcalcifications
|
absent
|
0
|
|
|
present
|
1.25
|
|
margins
|
regular
|
0
|
|
|
irregular
|
1.25
|
|
echogenicity
|
hypo
|
1.25
|
|
|
other
|
0
|
|
nodule structure
|
solid
|
1.0
|
|
|
other
|
0
|
|
intranodular vascularization
|
no
|
0
|
|
|
yes
|
0.75
|
|
nodule diameter
|
< 4 cm
|
0
|
|
|
>= 4 cm
|
0.25
|
|
number of nodules
|
1
|
0.25
|
|
|
>= 2
|
0
|
|
thyroid cytology
|
nondiagnostic
|
T1
|
|
|
nonneoplastic
|
T2
|
|
|
follicular or indeterminate lesion
|
T3
|
|
|
suspicious for malignancy
|
T4
|
|
|
positive for malignancy
|
T5
|
score for clinical and ultrasonography =
= SUM(points for the first 12 parameters)
T value =
= (thyroid cytology T code)
Interpretation:
• minimum C+U score: 0
• maximum C+U score: 10
• Benign nodules tended to have a C+U score <= 3 with T1/T2.
Performance:
• The area under the ROC curve varies in the range 0.71 to 0.75.
