Thyroid-dedicated internally-cooled wet electrode for benign thyroid nodules: experimental and clinical study

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Oncology

Background:

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a common treatment for various conditions.
• Internally-cooled wet (ICW) electrodes offer potential advantages in ablation therapies.
• Assessing the efficacy of novel RFA electrodes is crucial for advancing treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an internally-cooled wet (ICW) electrode for radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
• To assess the feasibility of using the ICW electrode for treating benign thyroid nodules.
• To compare the ablation zone characteristics of ICW electrodes with conventional internally-cooled (IC) electrodes in ex vivo liver tissue.

Main Methods:

• An 18-gauge ICW electrode was developed for chilled saline infusion.
• Ex vivo bovine liver experiments compared ICW and IC electrodes for ablation zone size and carbonization.
• A clinical study prospectively enrolled 20 patients with benign thyroid nodules (>5 ml) undergoing ultrasound-guided RFA with ICW electrodes.

Main Results:

• ICW electrodes produced significantly larger ablation zones than IC electrodes in ex vivo liver.
• In clinical study, nodule volume decreased by 73.3% at 6 months (p<.001).
• Significant improvements were observed in cosmetic and symptom scores (p<.001), with preserved thyroid function and one transient voice change.

Conclusions:

• A novel thyroid-dedicated ICW electrode was successfully developed.
• The ICW electrode demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness in treating benign thyroid nodules.
• This RFA approach offers a promising minimally invasive option for thyroid nodule management.