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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2020; 128(10): 687-692
DOI: 10.1055/a-1075-2025
Article

Non-Surgical and Non-Radioiodine Techniques for Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: Consensus Statement and Recommendation[ *]

Joachim Feldkamp
1   Department of General Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Infectious Diseases, Klinikum Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
,
F. Grünwald
2   Department of Nuclear Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
,
Markus Luster
3   Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany
,
Kerstin Lorenz
4   Departments of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
,
Christian Vorländer
5   Department of Endocrine Surgery, Bürgerhospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
,
Dagmar Führer 
6   Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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Abstract

Thyroid nodules and cysts are frequently diagnosed in Germany with a prevalence of about 20% in young adults reaching up to 70% in older adults. Surgery is the standard treatment of symptomatic nodules, nodules with suspicion of malignancy and thyroid cancer. Radioiodine treatment is applied for autonomously functioning nodules. During the last years new non-surgical and non-radioiodine techniques have been introduced to treat thyroid nodules. These techniques include ethanol/polidocanol treatment, radiofrequency, microwave, and laser ablation, and high frequency ultrasound ablation. A significant reduction in nodule size could be documented for these techniques in several studies, but long-term outcome data are missing. Until now, there is no general consensus regarding the appropriate indications for these methods. For this reason, the Thyroid Section (German Society for Endocrinology), the Thyroid Working Committee (German Society for Nuclear Medicine), and the German Association of Endocrine Surgeons (CAEK) for the German Society of General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV) reviewed the respective literature, discussed the pro and cons and developed a consensus statement and recommendation to help physicians and patients in their decision making.

Key words

radiofrequency ablation - microwave ablation - laser ablation - high frequency ultrasound ablation

* Consensus statement and recommendation of the Thyroid Section (German Society for Endocrinology), the Thyroid Working Committee (German Society for Nuclear Medicine), and the German Association of Endocrine Surgeons (CAEK) for the German Society of General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV).




Publication History

Received: 09 October 2018
Received: 30 November 2019

Accepted: 03 December 2019

Article published online:
07 January 2020

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