Percutaneous Ethanol Injection for Benign Cystic Thyroid Nodules
Percutaneous Ethanol Injection for Benign Cystic Thyroid Nodules
Use of ethanol injection in treatment of cystic thyroid nodule
Thyroid nodules are common discreet lesions in the parenchyma of thyroid gland which can
 either be palpated or made out during imaging like ultrasonography (USG).Clinically palpable
 thyroid nodules have a prevalence of 4-7% in the general population . However, the prevalence
 increases to 20-76% when USG is used for detection.

 Goiter and the associated thyroid nodules result in anxiety, cosmetic disfigurement, and
 rarely compressive symptoms necessitating surgical removal, a procedure inherently associated
 with risks and complications Percutaneous sclerotherapy has been suggested to be an effective
 alternative, especially in patients with cystic nodules. Simple cystic (purely cystic)
 constitutes 6-28% of all thyroid nodules, are usually benign, filled with cellular debris or
 blood, and are a result of degeneration or hemorrhage into a hyperplastic nodule.

 Among the various compounds (sodium tetradocyl sulfate, hydroxypolyethoxydodecan,
 tetracycline, and ethanol) tried for sclerosis of cystic thyroid nodules, outcomes are best
 and most studied with ethanol. However, data on outcomes of percutaneous aspiration and
 ethanol injection (PEI) in resolution of thyroid nodules is highly variable in different
 studies (success rate: 38-85%), which may be due to different populations studied and the
 heterogeneous nature of thyroid nodules evaluated.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Adult male or female patient with cystic thyroid nodule

 2. Presence of pressure symptoms or cosmetic problems

 3. Benign lesions confirmed by histopathological examination by FNAC.

 4. Serum levels of thyroid hormone thyrotropin, within normal limits.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Nodules showing malignant features(ie, speculated margin, markedly hypo echoic, micro-
 or macro calcifications) at US

 2. solid thyroid nodule

 3. mixed thyroid nodule(cystic with solid component)