Thyroid nodules are common, in some ultrasound series at least 30% of adults are found to have nodules and 4-7% of adults will have a palpable nodule. Whilst the overall risk of malignancy within a nodule is less than 5%, this is dependent on thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) which reflects features such as size of the nodule, presence of microcalcification, cyst complexity, whether the cyst is taller than wider and the presence of intranodular vascular images.