HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER PERCUTANEOUS RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION OF COLD, SOLID, BENIGN THYROID NODULES: A...

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Benign thyroid nodules (TN) can cause compressive and cosmetic symptoms impacting patient well-being.
• Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a crucial outcome measure for evaluating treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term impact of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on HRQL in patients with benign TN.
• To evaluate changes in nodule volume, symptoms, and thyroid function post-RFA.

Main Methods:

• Forty patients with benign TN underwent ultrasound-guided RFA.
• Nodule volume, symptom scores, cosmetic scores, and HRQL (PCS-12, MCS-12) were assessed over a 2-year follow-up period.

Main Results:

• RFA reduced nodule volume by 80.1% (P<.0001) and significantly improved symptom and cosmetic scores (P<.0001).
• HRQL, measured by Physical Component Summary (PCS)-12 and Mental Component Summary (MCS)-12, showed significant improvement (P<.0001).
• Thyroid function remained stable, with no major complications reported.

Conclusions:

• RFA is an effective treatment for benign TN, leading to substantial nodule volume reduction and symptom relief.
• The improvements in physical and mental health components indicate a significant enhancement in overall HRQL post-RFA.
• RFA offers a safe and effective therapeutic option for benign thyroid nodules, improving patient quality of life.