Epidemiological characteristics of thyroid nodules and risk factors for malignant nodules: a retrospective study from 6,304 surgical cases.

Background: The prevalence of thyroid nodules (TN) is increasing rapidly. This study analyzed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of TN in surgically treated patients and identified the risk factors for malignant nodules (MN) to provide more understanding of the differential diagnosis of TN.

Methods: A total of 6 304 TN cases who underwent thyroid surgery were included in this retrospective study.