About half of thyroid ultrasound imaging requests in patients with suspected thyroid nodules are performed outside of expert recommendations, an Australian study has found.

Researchers from the Gold Coast University Hospital reviewed medical records of patients who had ultrasound imaging for thyroid pathology between July 2014 and July 2017 to determine the proportion of inappropriate imaging requests being made.

Data from 251 patients with initial thyroid imaging and 201 patients who were found to have thyroid nodules were analysed and compared to best-practice recommendations outlined in the 2009 and 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines.

The researchers found that 126 initial ultrasound scans (50%) were performed outside of clinical indications for hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or neck pain.