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Objective: Thermal ablation (TA) is a safe and effective treatment for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). However, there has been no consensus on the optimal maximum diameter (MD) of BTNs for TA. This study aimed to identify the optimal MD of BTNs for TA based on complete disappearance rate after TA., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 639 BTNs treated with TA from June 2014 to January 2022. The complete disappearance rate of BTNs after TA was summarized, related influencing factors were explored, and the optimal MD of BTNs for TA was identified., Results: At the final follow-up (median: 40 months, range: 24-95 months), the overall volume reduction rate was 95.4 ± 9.0%, and 50.5% of the BTNs (323/639) completely disappeared. The MD was significantly negatively correlated with complete disappearance (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.87-0.92; p  < 0.001). Calcification, comet-tail artifacts, multilocular cysts, and composition of BTNs, as well as diabetes were negatively correlated with complete disappearance. Restricted cubic spline indicated that an MD of 25.0 mm was the optimal threshold of BTNs for TA, which was confirmed by subgroup logistic regression analysis. Compared with BTNs with MD ≤ 25.0 mm, those with MD > 25.0 mm had a greater complication rate (6.5% vs. 2.4%, p  = 0.012)., Conclusions: The MD of BTNs was negatively correlated with complete disappearance after TA; an MD > 25.0 mm indicated a reduced likelihood of complete disappearance compared with an MD ≤ 25.0 mm. An MD of 25.0 mm is an appropriate threshold of BTNs for TA on the basis of complete disappearance rate.

Objective: To assess the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of microwave ablation in treating follicular thyroid neoplasms and suspicious follicular thyroid neoplasms., Methods: In this retrospective study, the data of patients treated with microwave ablation for follicular neoplasms from December 2016 to January 2024 were summarized. The changes in nodule size, volume, technical success rate, disease progression, complete tumor resolution, thyroid function, and complications post-ablation were evaluated., Results: Seventy-four patients (15 men, 59 women; mean age 46.3 ± 15.2 years) with follicular neoplasms were included. Over a median follow-up of 13 months, complete ablation was achieved, giving a 100% technical success rate. At the first month post-ablation, the maximum diameter of nodules showed no significant change ( p  = 0.287). From the third month, both maximum diameter and volume significantly decreased ( p  < 0.005 for all). Volume reduction rates remained stable at one and three months ( p  = 0.389 and 0.06, respectively) but increased significantly thereafter ( p  < 0.005 for all). By 24 months, the median maximum diameter had reduced from 2.3 cm to 0 cm, achieving a median volume reduction rate of 100%. Nodules disappeared completely in 20.3% (15/74). Local recurrence was noted in 2.7% of cases (2/74), with no metastasis or neoplasm-related deaths reported. Thyroid function remained unchanged post-treatment ( p  > 0.05). The complication and side effect rates were 8.1% and 4.1%, respectively., Conclusions: Initial findings suggest microwave ablation is an effective and safe treatment for follicular neoplasms, with low incidences of disease progression and complications, while maintaining thyroid function.

Objective: To evaluate the complications associated with microwave ablation (MWA) in treating persistent/recurrent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) post-surgical or ablative treatments., Materials and Methods: From January 2015 to December 2022, 87 persistent/recurrent HPT patients (primary HPT [PHPT]: secondary HPT [SHPT] = 13:74) who underwent MWA after surgical or ablative treatment were studied. Grouping was based on ablation order (initial vs. re-MWA), prior treatment (parathyroidectomy [PTX] vs. MWA), and etiology (PHPT vs. SHPT). The study focused on documenting and comparing treatment complications and analyzing major complication risk factors., Result: Among the 87 patients, the overall complication rate was 17.6% (15/87), with major complications at 13.8% (12/87) and minor complications at 3.4% (3/87). Major complications included recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy (12.6%) and Horner syndrome (1.1%), while minor complications were limited to hematoma (3.4%). Severe hypocalcemia noted in 21.6% of SHPT patients. No significant differences in major complication rates were observed between initial and re-MWA groups (10.7% vs. 13.8%, p  = 0.455), PTX and MWA groups (12.5% vs. 15.4%, p  = 0.770), or PHPT and SHPT groups (15.4% vs. 13.5%, p  > 0.999). Risk factors for RLN palsy included ablation of superior and large parathyroid glands (>1.7 cm). All patients recovered spontaneously except for one with permanent RLN palsy in the PTX group (2.1%)., Conclusion: Complication rates for MWA post-surgical or ablative treatments were comparable to initial MWA rates. Most complications were transient, indicating MWA as a viable and safe treatment option for persistent/recurrent HPT patients.

Objectives: To study the efficacy and safety of an improved hydrodissection protocol based on the perithyroidal fascial space during microwave ablation for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)., Methods: The data of 341 patients (94 men and 247 women, median age 41 years old, 25%-75% interquartile range 34-53 years old, nodule maximum diameter 0.2-1.9 cm) who underwent microwave ablation for PTC were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 185 patients underwent traditional hydrodissection and served as a control group, and 156 patients underwent improved hydrodissection based on perithyroidal fascial spaces, constituting the improved group. Improvements in safety were analyzed by comparing complications between the two groups. The characteristics of hydrodissected spaces, complications, and follow-up results were recorded., Results: Hydrodissection was successfully performed in all enrolled patients according to the protocol. The incidence of hoarseness caused by recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, the most common complication in thermal ablation of thyroid nodules, was significantly lower in the improved group than in the control group (1.9% vs. 8.1%, p  = 0.021). The median hoarseness recovery time in the improved group was shorter than that in the control group (2 months vs. 3 months, p  = 0.032). During follow-up, no local recurrence was encountered in either group. The tumor disappearance rate was not significantly different between the two groups (69.9% vs. 75.7%, p  = 0.228)., Conclusions: Improved hydrodissection based on perithyroidal fascial spaces had better protective effects than traditional hydrodissection.

Objective: To compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) who underwent microwave ablation (MWA) and those who underwent total thyroidectomy (TT)., Materials and Methods: From February 2018 to February 2022, 180 T1N0M0 PTC patients were enrolled in present study, including 90 in the MWA group and 90 in the TT group, respectively. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Thyroid Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (THYCA-QoL) were completed by patients to evaluate their HRQoL scores., Results: According to the results of the EORTC-QLQ-C30, there was a significant difference in the scores of global health, physical, emotional, etc. between the two groups, which indicated that the quality of life in these items in the MWA group was better than those in the TT group (all p  < 0.05). According to the results of the THYCA-QoL, all items had significant differences between the two groups except for headache, which demonstrated the thyroid-specific quality of life was higher in the MWA group than in the TT group (all p  < 0.05)., Conclusion: Ultrasound ( US)-guided MWA offers a significant advantage in HRQoL over TT in T1N0M0 PTC patients, which provides an important reference for MWA as an alternative strategy to TT.

Objective: To study the safety of improved hydrodissection based on the periparathyroidal fascial space during microwave ablation (MWA) for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT)., Materials and Methods: Data from 337 patients (162 males and 175 females; mean age, 50.8 ± 12.8 [range, 16-84] years) who underwent MWA for SHPT were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 177 patients underwent traditional hydrodissection (traditional group) and 160 patients underwent improved hydrodissection based on periparathyroidal fascial spaces (improved group). Safety enhancement was analyzed by comparing the complications between the two groups. The characteristics of the hydrodissected fascial spaces, complications, and the follow-up results were recorded. The baseline data, clinical parameters, laboratory indices and characteristics of SHPT lesions were analyzed to assess the risk factors associated with hoarseness., Results: Hydrodissection was successfully performed in all the enrolled patients according to the protocol. Six periparathyroid fascial spaces were hydrodissected, depending on the location of the SHPT lesions. The incidence of hoarseness due to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, the most common complication of thermal ablation for SHPT lesions, was lower in the improved group than in the traditional group (6.9% vs. 13.0%, p  = 0.044). The median hoarseness recovery time in the improved group was shorter than that in the traditional group (2 vs. 6 months, p  < 0.001). There was no difference in technical efficiency between the two groups (improved group vs. traditional group: 75.0% vs. 70.6%; p  > 0.05)., Conclusions: Compared with traditional hydrodissection, improved hydrodissection based on periparathyroidal fascial spaces could enhance safety during MWA for SHPT.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, efficiency, and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) for T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with capsular invasion (CI)., Methods: The data of 69 T1N0M0 PTC with CI underwent MWA from August 2015 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All PTC nodules were pathologically confirmed by fine needle aspiration (FNA). The extended ablation was performed in all cases, that is, the ablation zone completely covered the tumor and extended the tumor edge by at least 2 mm. The strategy of fluid isolation was successfully applied before and during ablation. The strategy of multiple point ablation was applied. After ablation, the changes in tumor size at different time points, local recurrence, new lesions, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and complications were evaluated and recorded. The technical feasibility, technical success rate, and safety were analyzed., Results: Based on the contrast-enhanced ultrasound results, complete ablation has been achieved in all enrolled cases after ablation. The mean maximum tumor diameter and the mean volume of PTC nodules before ablation were 0.84 ± 0.39 cm (range, 0.3-2 cm) and 0.26 ± 0.35 ml (range, 0.01-1.72 ml) respectively. The mean follow-up time was 26 ± 10 months (range, 9-48 months). Nodules in 47 cases (68.1%) completely disappeared in the follow-up period. No local recurrence was detected. The incidence of new lesions and LNM was 4.3% (3/69) and 4.3% (3/69) respectively. Further ablations have been successfully employed for all of the new lesions and LMN. Light voice changes (2.9%, 2/69) were the only major complication, which was relieved within 6 months after MWA. The sizes of the ablation zone increased firstly within 6 months after MWA compared with the pretreatment tumor size ( p  < 0.05). Twelve months later, the sizes were smaller than those before MWA ( p  < 0.05 for all)., Conclusions: MWA is an effective, safe, and feasible method in treating T1N0M0 PTC with CI.

Background: To evaluate the feasibility, efficiency, and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) close to the thyroid capsule., Methods: The data of 106 cases who underwent thermal ablation from June 2014 to September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-up time was 25 ± 11 months (range, 9-48 months). The strategy of fluid isolation was successfully applied in all cases, and all PTC nodules underwent extended ablation. The technical feasibility, technical success rate, and safety were analyzed. Changes in tumor size at different time points after MWA were evaluated., Results: According to the contrast-enhanced ultrasound results after ablation, MWA has been successfully applied in all enrolled cases. The capsular ablation has also been achieved for all cases. Nodules in 71 cases (70.0%) completely disappeared in the follow-up period. No local recurrence was detected. The incidence of lymph node metastasis and new tumors was 1.9% (2/106) respectively. Light voice changes were the only complication, with a rate of 5.7% (6/106), which were relieved within 6 months after MWA. The size of the ablation zone increased firstly in 6 months after MWA compared with the pretreatment tumor size ( p  < 0.05). At 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 42 months after MWA, the ablation zone shrank and the sizes were smaller than the tumor size before MWA ( p  < 0.05 for all)., Conclusions: MWA is an effective, safe, and feasible method in treating PTC close to the thyroid capsule.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of microwave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT)., Method: This retrospective study included 104 pHPT patients treated by MWA or RFA between January 2015 and March 2020 in four centers. The clinical outcomes including effectiveness and complications were compared between the two groups. Ablation cure was defined as the reestablishment of normal values of serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) at least more than 6 months. Clinical cure was defined as the reestablishment of normal values of serum calcium and iPTH throughout the entire follow-up period., Results: A total of 77 patients underwent MWA (mean age, 55.5 ± 16.4 years) and 27 underwent RFA (mean age, 58.9 ± 15.6 years). During the follow-up (median, 18.7 months in the MWA group; 12 months in the RFA group), no difference was observed between ablation cure rates (88.3% vs. 88.9%, p  = 1.000), clinical cure rates (87.0% vs. 82.3%, p  = .880), recurrent pHPT (5.2% vs. 3.7%, p  = .447), persistent pHPT (11.7% vs. 11.1%, p  = 1.000) and complication rate (9.1% vs. 3.7%, p  = .677). A maximum diameter less than 0.7 cm was an independent prognostic factor of uncured pHPT in ablation (hazard ratio, 0.1; 95% confidence interval: 0.02, 0.54; p  = .007). Major complication - voice change encountered in five patients (6.5%) in the MWA group and in one patient (3.7%) in the RFA group., Conclusion: Both RFA and MWA are safe and effective techniques for patients with pHPT, with comparable clinical outcomes.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided microwave ablation ( MWA) for the treatment of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) located in the thyroid isthmus., Materials and Methods: Thirty-four patients (mean age, 43 ± 11 years; 26 women) with isthmic PTC treated with MWA between June 2014 and September 2020 were included in this retrospective study. The follow-up time after MWA was 17 ± 9 months (range, 8-50 months). Changes in thyroid function, parathyroid function, and tumor size were evaluated, along with the rates of tumor disappearance and complications., Results: The treatment was technically feasible and successfully completed in all 34 patients (100%). Measures of thyroid function (i.e. serum triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, and thyrotropin) and parathyroid function (i.e. serum calcium and intact parathyroid hormone) showed no changes from pretreatment levels at 1, 3, and 6 months after MWA ( p  > 0.05 for all). Tumor size was found to be increased at 1 and 3 months after MWA compared with before MWA ( p  < 0.05). However, the tumor sizes measured at 6, 9, 12, and 18 months after MWA were smaller than the pretreatment sizes ( p  < 0.05 for all). In 24 cases (70.6%), the tumors completely disappeared on US examination. Five cases (2.9%) experienced side effects from MWA treatment, but no major or minor complications were recorded., Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that US-guided MWA is a feasible, effective, and safe treatment option for selected patients with PTC located in the thyroid isthmus.

Purpose: Ultrasound-guided thermal ablation (including microwave ablation [MWA] and radiofrequency ablation [RFA]) has emerged as a remarkable technology for the treatment of benign and malignant diseases. The objective of this multicenter study was to assess the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation in a large cohort of patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC)., Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of 725 patients who underwent MWA/RFA at 11 centers between March 2015 and March 2020. The mean age of patients was 46 ± 11 years (range, 22-81); the mean follow-up time was 21 ± 13 months (range, 6-60). Changes in size of tumor, the rates of tumor disappearance, disease progression, and complications were assessed., Results: From 6 months post-ablation, the size of tumors was significantly reduced compared with those recorded pre-ablation ( p  < 0.001 for all). Five hundred and fifteen (71.0%) PTMCs had completely disappeared as assessed by ultrasound examination. Six (0.8%) patients developed disease progression post-ablation; of these, 5 (0.7%) patients developed new PTMCs, while one (0.1%) patient developed cervical lymph node metastasis. Nineteen (2.6%) patients developed complications post-ablation; of these 14 (1.9%) patients developed voice hoarseness, 4 (0.6%) developed hematoma, and one (0.1%) patient developed cough., Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided thermal ablation represents an effective and safe treatment for patients with PTMC besides active surveillance and surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) for cervical metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) post resection of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Materials and methods: From November 2015 to November 2018, 14 patients with 38 cervical metastatic LNs treated by MWA were included in this retrospective study. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the changes of LN and serum thyroglobulin levels pre- and post-ablation. Results: The technical success rate in this study was 100% (38/38). The mean follow-up time was 23.6 ± 9.3 months. On pre-ablation contrast-enhanced ultrasound, 25 LNs showed high-enhancement, 8 LNs showed iso-enhancement, and 5 LNs showed low-enhancement. The median largest diameter of LNs at pre-ablation and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months post-ablation was 11.5 mm and 9.5, 9.0, 8.0, 8.0, 8.0, 7.0, and 6.0 mm, respectively. The median volume of LNs at pre-ablation and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months post-ablation were 251.2 mm 3 and 206.7, 167.2, 166.2, 155.7, 153.9, 153.9, and 113.1 mm 3 , respectively. The largest diameter and the volume of the cervical metastatic LNs at the last post-ablation was significantly smaller than the pre-ablation level ( p  = .0016; p  = .0018). Serum Tg level at the last post-ablation (median 1.25 ng/mL) was significantly lower than the pre-ablation level (median 8.35 ng/mL) ( p  = .001). There were no complications. Conclusion: MWA is a safe and effective novel treatment option for cervical metastatic LN that emerge post resection of PTC.

Objective: To compare the postoperative hypocalcemia between ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) and total parathyroidectomy (TPTX) for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT)., Methods: The retrospective study reviewed 286 SHPT patients (171 received MWA and 115 underwent TPTX) between March 2018 and May 2019. Propensity-score matching was used to assemble a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics. A total of 184 SHPT patients (92 in each group) were finally enrolled, the occurrence and prognosis of postoperative hypocalcemia were compared. And the risk factors associated with severe hypocalcemia (SH) in each group were analyzed., Results: Hypocalcemia encountered in 95cases (49 in the MWA group and 46 in the TPTX group). SH occurred in 76 cases (40 in the MWA group and 36 in the TPTX group). There were no statistically significant differences in the detection time, incidence, minimum value of serum calcium and symptomatic hypocalcemia between MWA and TPTX group (all p values > 0.05). Of patients developing hypocalcemia, serum calcium did not recover to normal range in 5 cases (10.2%) in the MWA group, while 13 cases (28.3%) were still hypocalcemia at 6 months follow-up in TPTX group ( p  = 0.035). The time to recovery from hypocalcemia in the TPTX group (mean 30 days, range 3-180 days) was longer than the WA group (mean 14 days, range 3-126 days) ( p  = 0.000). High serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level and low serum calcium level were the main risk factors of postoperative SH., Conclusion: There was no difference in hypocalcemia between MWA and TPTX group. Hypocalcemia in the TPTX group might need a longer time to recover.

Purpose: The present systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). Materials and methods: The study authors systematically searched the Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase and Ovid databases for studies published in English prior to 7October 2019. All studies included in the meta-analysis measured levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium and phosphorus, and included data related to complications following MWA treatment for SHPT. Results: The meta-analysis ultimately included 233 patients from two retrospective cohort studies and six retrospective self-control studies. Compared to PTH level measurements obtained after MWA, measurements obtained at one day (weighted mean differences (WMD): 890.314, 95% confidence interval (CI): 767.121-1013.506, p  < 0.01) , one week (WMD: 860.298, 95% CI: 759.401-961.194, p  < 0.01), one month (WMD: 800.846, 95% CI: 687.709-913.983, p  < 0.01) and six months (WMD: 860.847, 95% CI: 745.214-976.480, p  < 0.01) after MWA were significantly lower. Calcium and phosphorus levels at one day and one week after MWA were also significantly lower than those measured before MWA. After MWA, the incidence of nerve injury was 1.2% (3/233; effect size (ES): 0.022, 95% CI: -0.003-0.048, p  < 0.01). After MWA, the incidence of hypocalcemia was 15.8% (37/233; ES: 0.449, 95% CI: 0.341-0.556, p  < 0.01). Conclusion: The preliminary results of this meta-analysis indicate that MWA may be effective and safe in treating patients with SHPT, and that future prospective research and randomized controlled trials (RCT) are necessary.

Purpose: To evaluate the complications encountered during microwave ablation (MWA) for primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Materials and methods: The retrospective study enrolled 213 secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and 51 primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients who received MWA between July 2015 and September 2018. The major and minor treatment-related complications were documented. The baseline data, clinical parameters, laboratory indices and characteristics of the parathyroid glands were analyzed to assess the risk factors associated with these complications. Results: The incidence of post-MWA complications in HPT patients was 12.1% (32/264). In total, five (5/264, 1.9%) patients with SHPT had major complications, including aphonia/hoarseness ( n  = 4) and Horner syndrome ( n  = 1). A total of 27 (10.2%, 27/264) HPT patients had minor complications, including neck hematoma (0.8%, 2/264), bucking (4.2%, 11/264) and phonasthenia (5.3%, 14/264). The incidence of severe hypocalcemia (SH) after MWA was 18.2%. Cutaneous necrosis occurred in two SH patients after intravenous calcium supplementation. There were no significant differences in the incidence of overall complications, major complications and minor complications between SHPT and PHPT patients (12.7% vs 9.8%, p  = 0.811; 2.3% vs 0, p  = 0.587; 10.3% vs 9.8%, p  = 1.000). A history of parathyroidectomy (PTX) ( p  = 0.031) and multiple symptoms ( p  = 0.000) were risk factors for the occurrence of complications in SHPT patients. One patient sustained a permanent injury to a unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), and the two patients who experienced cutaneous necrosis underwent debridement plus autologous skin transplantation. The remaining patients recovered without sequelae. Conclusion: The incidence of major complications was low which only occurred in SHPT patients. Most of the patients with complications recovered spontaneously. MWA is safe for the treatment of HPT.