Endocrine Abstracts

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to compare the effectiveness of PLA and RFA procedures in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules discussing indications, techniques, complication and outcomes derived from our experience.

Method and materials: Thirty-eight patients (26F; 55±14) with benign thyroid nodules were treated, 15 with PLA and 23 with RF. Nodules were classified as thy2 through two consecutive fine-needle-aspiration (FNA) and selected for their clinical implications due to their volume. All of them presented a solid component of over 80% of its total volume, assessed by pre-treatment US evaluation. Right after the ablation procedure, treated nodules were evaluated with a contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic (CEUS) examination in order to assess the area of necrosis. Then patients were followed-up at one week with US, at one month with CEUS, at six and 12 months with US in order to assess nodule’s volume reduction and treatment outcomes.

Results: Reduction in nodules volume after RFA has been found to range 27–55% at one month follow-up and 57–84% at 12 months; PLA resulted in a nodule’s volume reduction of 25–50% at one month and 51–79% range at 12 months. No Significant differences has resulted between the two techniques in terms of nodule’s volume reduction. No Procedural complications occurred.

Conclusion: RFA and PLA are excellent and safe procedures in the management of benign thyroid nodules. Safety represents the primary treatment prerogative, hence the clinical presentation and the radiologist skills should play an important role in the procedure planning; our experience suggested that the choice between RFA and PLA could be made on the basis of where the nodule is sited and on its morphologic features, preferring RFA for more superficial and irregular-shaped nodules and PLA for deeper and plongeant ones.