Sonographically guided percutaneous ethanol injection for therapy of thyroid benign lesion

Objective To develop the microtrauma therapy for thyroid benign lesion, to evaluate efficacy of sonographically guided percutaneous ethanol injection for therapy of thyroid benign lesion. Methods Thirty-two patients with thyroid benign lesion were treated in Cancer Hospital, the patients had thyroid disease with cystic or cystic and solid nodule without heart and lung disease, and no allergy to ethanol, but the most diameter was below 3 cm for the solid disease. These patients were divided into two groups, the first group were 14 patients（from June 2002 to August 2003） ,the second group was 18 patients （from September 2003 to March 2006）. The mean injection times was four （1 -6） in the first group,the volume of each ethanol injection made the absolute ethanol well-distributed and kept slight compression intralesion for five minutes for solid disease. Partial liquid was extracted for cystic disease first, and 2 - 10 ml ethanol was injected into cyst, the internal time between two punctures was one week. Each patient received six times ethanol injection in the second group, ethanol injection was same with the first group. The mean follow-up was29 （12-57） months. Results The efficacy rate was 100.0%, the cure rate was 69.2% in the first group. The efficacy rate was 100. 0% , the cure rate was 77. 8% in the second group. There was no significant difference in the cure rate between the groups （ χ2 = 0. 0258, P > 0. 05 ）. During follow-up, ultrasound revealed no recurrence for the cured patients and no growth for the remnant lesion. Its complications were transient after the procedure, no severe complications occurred. Conclusions Sonographically guided percutaneous ethanol injection should be simple, effective, and safe for the thyroid benign lesion, it is easy popularized and may has the effect of cosmetology' and microtrauma. Key words: Thyroid neoplasms; Ultrasonography; Ethanol