Thyroid nodules: a review of current guidelines, practices, and prospects

In 2006. two major society-sponsored guidelines and one major consensus statement for thyroid diagnosis and management were published by: the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist gists/Associazione Medici Endocrinologi (AACE/AME); the American Thyroid Association (ATA): and the European Thyroid Association (ETA). A careful review of these guidelines reveals that despite many, similarities. significant differences are also present. likely reflecting differences in practice patterns. interpretation of existing data. and availability of resources in different regions. The methodology of the guidelines is similar, but I few differences in the rating scale make it rapid comparison of the strength of both evidence and recommendations difficult for the use in current clinical practice. Some recommendations are based mostly oil experts' opinion. Thus, it same recommendation may be based oil a different evidence: oil the other hand. sometimes the same evidence may induce it different recommendation. Therefore. efforts are needed to produce it few, high-quality, clinical studies 10 Close the evidence gaps in the still controversial fields of thyroid disease and to Create it joint task force of the most authoritative societies in the field of thyroid disease ill order to reach common document for clinical practice recommendations.