Assessing the risk of malignancy in the thyroid with ultrasound (US) is crucial in patients with nodules, as it can aid in selecting those who should have a fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy performed. Many studies have examined whether the US characteristics of thyroid nodules are useful indicators of histological malignancy. Overall, these investigations have identified a few US features that are significantly more frequent in malignant thyroid nodules which can be coalesced into a defining set to be used as an indicator of a higher risk of malignancy. Despite these efforts, none of these classifications have been widely adopted worldwide, and there are still conflicting recommendations from different institutions. Understanding the role and appropriate utilization of these systems could facilitate the effective interpretation and communication of thyroid US findings among referring physicians and radiologists. In this comprehensive review, we outline the major US classification systems of thyroid nodules published in the last few years.

Background: Thyroid nodules are a fairly common finding in general population and, even if most of them are benign, a treatment can be however necessary. In the last years, non surgical minimally invasive techniques have been developed to treat this pathology, starting from percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), to laser ablation (LA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and, most recently, microwave ablation (MWA). Methods:We reviewed all medical literature searching in pubmed.gov the terms "microwave" & "thyroid".We found three original studies concerning MWA treatment, for a total of 263 patients (mean age 51.0 years; range, 15-80 years; male to female ratio 2.55) and 522 nodules.Results: A total of 522 nodules (338 solid, 22 cystic, 162 mixed) in 263 patients were treated. Studies have shown a mean reduction in volume of thyroid nodules ranging from 45.9% to 65%. No study reported a significant and definitive change in laboratory parameters, except for one case (Heck et al.). No studies have reported major complications after procedure.Conclusions: MWA is a new, promising technique among the minimally invasive treatments of thyroid nodules. Actually, the larger diameter of MW antenna seems to be the major limiting factor in the use of this technique. More studies are necessary to evaluate feasibility, safety and efficacy of the procedure.

BAE and NBAE are effective and safe for acute treatment of haemoptysis, with low recurrence and complication rates. Interventional radiologist experience is crucial to the successful haemoptysis control and preventing complications.

The two systems used in our study resulted equivalent in terms of US needle visibility, efficacy, symptom/cosmetic relief, safety. More patients and a longer follow-up are necessary to confirm our results.