Objective: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the current primary test to risk stratify thyroid nodules. However, in up to one third of biopsies, cytology is indeterminate. The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology categorizes thyroid cytology findings into six groups, with each group assigned a putative malignancy risk. This article reviews the Bethesda System, emphasizing the key facts necessary to understand thyroid biopsy results and effectively manage patients after FNAB.
Conclusion: It is important to diagnose and stratify the risk of malignancy in thyroid nodules. A working knowledge of the Bethesda System permits accurate, evidence-based risk stratification of patients with thyroid nodules and thereby facilitates their management. Because it is a uniform diagnostic approach, the Bethesda System allows comparisons of different management strategies across different institutions.