Clinical observation of microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol in the treatment of cystic thyroid nodules inical / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the therapeutic effect of microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol for cystic thyroid nodules.Methods:From Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2019, 56 patients with thyroid cystic nodules (≥2cm) underwent ultrasound guided thyroid cystic nodule ablation in Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to different ablation methods, the patients were divided into microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol group and microwave ablation group. There were 36 cases in microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol group and 20 cases in microwave ablation group. The volume reduction rate of thyroid nodules, the incidence of postoperative complications and the changes of thyroid function were compared between the two groups after treatment. Statistical analysis were performed using SPSS, version 21.0, the mean±SD deviation ( ± s) was used to describe the statistics, t-test was performed, and the adoption rate of counting data (%) was expressed by χ 2 test. The difference was statistically significant with P<0.05. Results:The nodule volume reduction rates of the microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol group and microwave ablation group were (49.86±6.78) % vs (22.84±1.88) %, (67.57±5.84) % vs (47.25±7.09) % and (75.70±4.51) % vs (71.14±4.65) % at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after operation, respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.001) . The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was 38.89% and 45.00% respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05) , and all complications were cured within 2 months. There was no significant difference in thyroid function (T3, T4, FT3, FT4, TSH) between the two groups before and 12 months after operation ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:Microwave ablation combined with anhydrous ethanol is more effective in treatment of cystic thyroid nodules (≥2cm) than microwave ablation alone. It can significantly improve patients’symptoms and nodule volume reduction, and does not affect thyroid function. It can be used as a recommended option for treatment of cysticthyroid nodules.