Application Progress of Artificial Intelligence in Managing Thyroid Disease

Qing Lu¹Yu Wu¹Jing Chang¹Li Zhang^1*Qing Lv^1*Hui Sun^2*

• ¹Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Wuhan Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
• ²Department of Endocrinology, Wuhan Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to study thyroid diseases since the 1990s. Previously, it mainly concentrated on the diagnosis of thyroid function and distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid nodules. With the rapid development of machine and deep learning, AI has been widely used in multiple areas of thyroid disease management, including image analysis, pathological diagnosis, personalized treatment, patient monitoring,and follow-up. This review systematically examines the evolution of AI applications in thyroid disease management since the 1990s, with a focus on diagnostic innovations, therapeutic personalization, and emerging challenges in clinical implementation. AI not only reduces the subjectivity associated with ultrasound examinations but also enhances the differentiation rate of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, thereby reducing the frequency of unnecessary fine-needle aspirations. AI synthesizes multimodal data, such as ultrasound, electronic health records, and wearable sensors, for continuous health monitoring. This integration facilitates the early detection of subclinical recurrence risk, particularly in patients who have undergone thyroidectomy. Despite the broad prospects of AI applications, challenges related to data privacy, model interpretability, and clinical applicability remain. This review critically evaluates studies across the ultrasound, CT/MRI, and histopathology domains, while addressing barriers to clinical translation, such as data heterogeneity and ethical concerns.