Standardisation of thyroid cytology terminology and practice: are modifications necessary?-a narrative review.

Universally accepted guidelines for diagnosis and management of any disease are desirable. Standardization of thyroid cytology reporting is aimed at guiding and improving clinical decision-making and management. However, socio-economic, and local factors and differences in disease prevalence and patterns require modification to suit local settings. 'One size fit all' approach is not possible for any disease diagnosis or management. The same concept is applicable in diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules. An additional special issue is the well-known high inter and intra-observer variability in the histological and cytological diagnosis of thyroid neoplasms. Despite this, thyroid cytology has a very significant influence in the management of thyroid diseases. An approach based on common principals with appropriate modifications that suits countries or continents is desirable and sustainable. The principals of TBSRTC have served as a framework for similar tiered classifications for reporting thyroid cytopathology. This article discusses globally available professional guidelines based on a common framework with appropriate modifications, with the universal aim of risk stratification of thyroid nodules.
Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The author has completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/gs-2019-catp-25). The series “Asian and Western Practice in Thyroid Pathology: Similarities and Differences” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The author has no other conflicts of interest to declare.
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