Ethanol Ablation of the Thyroid Nodules: 2018 Consensus Statement by the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology

Minimally invasive treatment of symptomatic thyroid nodules is now commonplace. Ethanol ablation (EA) of thyroid cystic nodules has been performed since the 1990s, but there is no global consensus or guideline. Although various limitations of EA have been described, recommendations for practical application are necessary. Therefore, the Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology initiated the present consensus statement and here we provide recommendations for the role of EA in the management of symptomatic thyroid nodules. These recommendations are based on evidence to date from the literature and expert opinion.

2017 Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation Guideline: Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology

Thermal ablation using radiofrequency is a new, minimally invasive modality employed as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules and recurrent thyroid cancers. The Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) developed recommendations for the optimal use of radiofrequency ablation for thyroid tumors in 2012. As new meaningful evidences have accumulated, KSThR decided to revise the guidelines. The revised guideline is based on a comprehensive analysis of the current literature and expert consensus.

Core Needle Biopsy of the Thyroid: 2016 Consensus Statement and Recommendations from Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology

Core needle biopsy (CNB) has been suggested as a complementary diagnostic method to fine-needle aspiration in patients with thyroid nodules. Many recent CNB studies have suggested a more advanced role for CNB, but there are still no guidelines on its use. Therefore, the Task Force Committee of the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology has developed the present consensus statement and recommendations for the role of CNB in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. These recommendations are based on evidence from the current literature and expert consensus.

Ultrasonographic Classification of the Metastases to the Thyroid Gland / 대한갑상선학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To classify the metastases to the thyroid gland arising from non-thyroidal malignancies on ultrasound (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 45 consecutive patients with metastases to the thyroid gland from 2005 to 2012. We classified metastases into 4 types; type I: diffuse non-mass forming lesion, type II: a solitary suspicious nodule, type III: multiple suspicious nodules, and type IV: nodule(s) with no suspicion. We subcategorized type I into two subtypes; type IA: diffusely infiltrative lesion, type IB: diffuse micronodulation. RESULTS: The most frequent primary malignancy of thyroid metastases was lung cancer. The patients with thyroid metastases were 26 (57.8%) in type I; type IA: 16 (35.6%), type IB: 10 (22.2%), 14 (31.1%) in type II, 3 (6.7%) in type III and 2 (4.4%) in type IV. Type I metastasis included 18 of 25 patients with lung cancer and all 3 patients with stomach cancer. Thirty patients (73.3%) having type IA, II or III revealed malignant findings on US, in contrast, 12 (26.7%) patients having type IB or IV revealed no suspicious findings. CONCLUSION: Type I (diffuse non-mass forming lesion) was the most common in thyroid metastases. A quarter of thyroid metastases revealed no suspicious findings on US. Thyroid metastases can be considered as a differential diagnosis, when diffuse non-mass forming lesions or nodules with no suspicion are revealed on thyroid US.

Slot-Scan Digital Radiography of the Lower Extremities: a Comparison to Computed Radiography with Respect to Image Quality and Radiation Dose

OBJECTIVE: To compare the slot-scan digital radiography (SSDR) of the lower extremity region and the computed radiography (CR) method with respect to the image quality and radiation exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 54 patients who underwent both the SSDR and CR of the lower extremities. The study evaluated and statistically compared the image quality of four features (outer cortex, inner cortex, trabeculae and intermuscular fat) at six different levels (pelvis, hip, femur, knee, tibia and ankle) between each method. The image quality was evaluated using a visibility scale, and the entrance skin dose was measured using a dosimeter at three different levels of a phantom (hip, knee, and ankle). RESULTS: The mean image visibility scale values for the SSDR method were significantly higher than for the CR method. The entrance skin dose for the SSDR method was 278 micro Gy at each level, compared to the entrance skin doses of the CR method, which were 3,410 micro Gy for the hip, 1,152 micro Gy for the knee, and 580 microGy for the ankle. CONCLUSION: Both the image quality and patient entrance skin dose data suggest that the SSDR method is superior to the CR method for the lower extremity musculoskeletal examination.