INTRODUCTION: Although advancing age is known to influence the formation of thyroid nodules, the precise relationship remains unclear. Furthermore, it is uncertain whether age influences the risk that any thyroid nodule may prove @entity5 . AIM: The aim was to determine the impact of @entity1 age on nodule formation, multinodularity, and risk of @entity1374 . METHOD: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of consecutive adults (ages 20-95 y) who presented for evaluation of nodular disease from 1995 to 2011. A total of 6391 @entity1 underwent ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration of 12 115 nodules >= 1 cm. @entity1 were divided into six age groups and compared using sonographic, cytological, and histological endpoints. RESULT: The prevalence of thyroid nodular disease increases with advancing age. The mean number of nodules at presentation increased from 1.5 in the youngest cohort (age, 20-30 y) to 2.2 in the oldest cohort (age, >70 y; P < .001), demonstrating a 1.6% annual increased risk for multinodularity (odds ratio, 1.02; P < .001). In contrast, the risk of @entity5 in a newly identified nodule declined with advancing age. @entity259 incidence per @entity1 was 22.9% in the youngest cohort, but 12.6% in the oldest cohort (odds ratio, 0.972; P < .001), demonstrating a 2.2% decrease per year in the relative risk of @entity5 between ages 20 and 60 years, which stabilized thereafter. Despite a lower likelihood of @entity5 , identified @entity5 in older @entity1 demonstrated higher risk histological phenotypes. Although nearly all @entity5 in younger @entity1 were well-differentiated, older @entity1 were more likely to have higher risk @entity3557 variants, poorly differentiated @entity5 , or @entity189 (P < .001). CONCLUSION: With advancing age, the prevalence of clinically relevant thyroid nodules increases, whereas the risk that such nodules are malignant decreases. Nonetheless, when @entity259 is detected in older individuals, a higher-risk histological phenotype is more likely. These data provide insight into the clinical paradox that confronts physicians managing this common illness.

The Influence of @entity1 Age on Thyroid Nodule Formation, Multinodularity, and XXXX Risk.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity3557 :: ('MESH:C536915', 'Disease') :: ['papillary thyroid carcinoma'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancerous', 'cancers', 'cancer', 'malignancy', 'malignancies'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['anaplastic carcinoma'] @entity259 :: ('MESH:D013964', 'Disease') :: ['Thyroid cancer', 'thyroid cancer'] @entity1374 :: ('MESH:D013959', 'Disease') :: ['thyroid malignancy']
@entity259 :: (MESH:D013964,Disease) :: ['Thyroid Cancer']
