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Updated: Aug 31, 2025
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
A novel parallel overlapping mode for complete ablation of large benign thyroid nodules in a single-session
Tao Wu1, Bowen Zheng1, Lei Tan1
1Department of Ultrasound, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been widely applied in patients with benign thyroid nodules (BTNs), and complete ablation in a single-session treatment brings great benefits to patients. While how the ablation should be planned and performed to achieve complete ablation in a single-session treatment in large BTNs remains unknown.
Purpose:
To determine a more suitable ablation strategy for sufficient treatment in a single-session treatment.
Materials And Methods:
This retrospective study included 108 BTNs receiving RFA treatment. These patients were divided into two groups: group A using one insertion point with a fan-shaped overlapping mode and group B using multiple insertion points with a novel parallel overlapping mode. All the treatments used a hydrodissection approach and moving-shot technique. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) was used to guide the supplementary ablation. Follow-ups were performed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The rates of supplementary ablation, initial ablation ratio (IAR), the rates of complete ablation (CAR), treatment effects and complications between the two groups were compared.
Results:
The group B had larger treated nodules (10.2ml vs 6.4ml, P<0.001) than group A, while group B had a lower rate of supplementary ablation (21.6% vs 75.4%, P<0.001), especially in the BTNs with craniocaudal diameters ≥30mm (22.0% vs 100%, P<0.001). With the assistance of supplementary ablation, both groups achieved similar IAR (100% vs 100%, P=0.372) and CAR (94.7% vs 94.1%, P=1.000). Two groups showed similar VRRs at 12-month follow-up (77.9% vs 77.5%, P=0.894) and similar rates of complications (3.5% vs 2.0%, P=1.000).
Conclusions:
Needle placement using the multiple insertion points with a novel parallel overlapping mode would be easier to achieve complete ablation with less supplementary ablation, especially in large nodules.
