The article analyzes literature and own authors’ data on the use of the EU-TIRADS and Bethesda classification. Thyroid nodules are widespread in the population. Due to the unfavorable environmental situation, the spread of radiation methods for the treatment of tumors in other localizations, an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer is noted. Having modern ultrasound machines with advanced auxiliary techniques (elastography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, Doppler modes), the doctor often faces difficulties in interpreting the results of the study and making a decision on further patient management tactics. The TIRADS classification for thyroid nodules has been widely implemented abroad, according to which the management tactics for each group of patients are determined. In our country, doctors use various, sometimes contradictory, versions of the TIRADS classification. The purpose of the classification is to determine the risk of malignancy of the node and the choice of further tactics for patient management. According to statistics, the majority of thyroid nodes are benign. If malignancy is suspected, the patient undergo biopsy. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) with cytological examination is a fairly highly informative diagnostic method and allows for reliable interpretation of the ultrasound characteristics of thyroid nodes, as well as the choice of the necessary tactics for managing a specific patient. But like any interventional procedure, FNAB has complications and may have an uninformative result. The question arises about the need for a repeat biopsy and its timing. The article provides an overview of the latest clinical guidelines for the management of patients with thyroid nodules, published in August 2023 by the European Thyroid Association, from the point of view of an ultrasound diagnostic physician. It also presents data on 848 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent examination and treatment at the Chelyabinsk Regional Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine in 2023.

Keywords: fine-needle aspiration biopsy, thyroid gland, ultrasound