Table 3 Table of TSH, fT4 and fT3 ORs. ORs that could not be calculated due to a lack of patients with abnormal values were not listed below

All Nodules

OR

CI −

CI+

p-value

TSH > 4

2.13

0.97

4.66

0.0666

TSH < 0.4

0.46

0.22

0.95

0.0500

fT4 > 16

2.10

1.09

4.06

0.0339

fT4 < 10

0.45

0.20

0.98

0.0603

fT3 > 5.5

0.39

0.14

1.12

0.107

fT3 < 3

1.83

0.25

13.69

0.605

fT4/fT3 > 3.3

6.00

2.56

14.07

0.0001

2–2.9 cm Nodules

OR

CI+

CI −

p-value

fT4 > 16

2.57

0.60

11.04

0.262

fT4 < 10

0.44

0.10

2.00

0.349

fT4/fT3 > 3.3

5.20

1.13

23.89

0.0610

3 –3.9 cm Nodules

OR

CI+

CI −

p-value

TSH > 4.4

4.75

0.68

33.14

0.165

TSH < 0.4

1.13

0.29

4.48

0.875

fT4 > 16

2.96

0.40

22.105

0.351

fT4 < 10

2.13

0.27

16.87

0.529

fT4/fT3 > 3.3

5.83

1.12

30.37

0.0640

>3.9 cm Nodules

OR

CI+

CI −

p-value

TSH < 0.4

0.78

0.13

4.85

0.234

fT4 > 16

0.93

0.22

4.02

0.935

fT3 > 5.5

0.70

0.06

8.69

0.803

fT3 < 3

0.75

0.06

9.87

0.846

fT4/fT3 > 3.3

9.60

1.16

79.41

0.0640