Percutaneous ethanol ablation for symptomatic thyroid nodules – evaluation of our initial two years’ experience

Background Various kinds of symptomatic thyroid nodules are a common finding, but surgery carries a risk of significant complications, and after aspiration alone, cysts have a high tendency to recur. According to previous studies, percutaneous ethanol ablation (PEA) is an effective technique for managing thyroid nodules, particularly cystic nodules.

Methods We evaluated retrospectively the outcome of the first continuous series of patients (2017–2019) treated with ethanol ablation for cystic, mixed and solid thyroid nodules in Turku University Hospital.

Results Our results support previous data; of all (71) patients, 45 (63.4%) were completely asymptomatic at the end of their PEA treatment and 14 (19.7 %) experienced only minimal and well tolerable symptoms. Patients with purely cystic nodules showed the best response, 70% becoming completely asymptomatic and 15% remaining with minimal symptoms requiring no treatment after their PEA regimen.

Conclusions After such promising initial outcomes, ethanol ablation has now become an integral tool in the management of thyroid cysts in our institution and is also used in selected mixed and solid cases.

Laura Halme, Matias Sinisalo, Riitta Rautio

Laura Halme

M.D.

Department of Plastic and General Surgery, Turku University Hospital