How to manage the patients with unsatisfactory results after ethanol ablation for thyroid nodules: Role of radiofrequency ablation
European Journal of Radiology, 04/24/2012

Jang SW et al. – Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is effective in treatment of benign predominantly cystic thyroid nodules in patients whose clinical problems were incompletely resolved after ethanol ablation (EA).

• Of 94 patients with predominantly cystic thyroid nodules who underwent EA, 20 patients underwent additional RFA because of incompletely resolved clinical problems (symptomatic score reduction <50%) and presence of residual solid component at 1-month follow-up on ultrasonography.
• Improvement of clinical symptoms and nodule volume reduction were evaluated 6 month later.
• The authors evaluated factors related to nodule volume reduction after EA and RFA.

• RFA after a single session of EA was effective in reducing mean symptom score from 4.8 to 1.1 (p<0.001), mean cosmetic score from 3.5 to 1.4 (p<0.001) and mean nodule volume from 11.3 to 0.9mL (p<0.001).
• The only independent factor related to volume reduction after EA was the presence of a solid component (p<0.001), and EA was less effective in nodules when solid component >20% (p=0.001).
• They identified no factors related to volume reduction after RFA.