Benign Thyroid Nodules Treatment Using Percutaneous Laser Ablation (Pla) And Radiofrequency Ablation (Rfa)

Purpose: To evaluate the reduction over time of benign thyroid nodules treated using percutaneous laser ablation (PLA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) by the same equipe.Materials and methods: Ninety patients (age 55.614.1 years) underwent ablation for benign thyroid nodule causing compression/aesthetic dissatisfaction from 2011. Fifty-nine (age 55.814.1 years) underwent RFA and 31 (age 55.2 +/- 14.2 years) PLA, ultrasound guided. Technical success, complications, duration of ablation and treatment, energy deployed, volumetric percentage reduction at 1, 6 and 12 months were derived. A regression model for longitudinal measurements was used with random intercept and random slope. Values are expressed as mean +/- standard deviation or N (%).Results: Technical success was always obtained. No major complications occurred. Mean ablation time was 30.1 +/- 13.8 vs. 13.9 +/- 5.9min (p<.0001) and mean energy deployment was 5422.3 +/- 2484.5 J vs. 34662.7 +/- 15812.3 J in PLA vs. RFA group. Mean volume reduced from 20.3 +/- 16.4ml to 13.17 +/- 10.74ml (42%+/- 17% reduction) at 1st month, 8.7 +/- 7.4ml (60%+/- 15% reduction) at 6th month and 7.1 +/- 7.7ml (70%%+/- 16% reduction) at 12th month, in PLA group, and from 32.7 +/- 19.5ml to 17.2 +/- 12.9ml (51%+/- 15% reduction) at 1st month, 12.8 +/- 9.6ml (64 +/- 14% reduction) at 6th month and 9.9 +/- 9.2ml (74%+/- 14% reduction) at 12th month in RFA group. No difference in time course of the relative volume reduction between the two techniques was found.Conclusions: RFA and PLA are similarly feasible, safe and effective in treating benign thyroid nodules when performed by the same equipe. RFA is faster than PLA but require significantly higher energy.