Clinical efficacy analysis of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for nodular goiters

To investigate the clinical efficacy and influence on thyroid function of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (UGMWA) in patients with nodular goiter.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 162 patients with nodular goiter admitted to Beijing United Family Hospital and Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022. According to the surgical treatment plan, they were divided into the control group (conventional surgical methods, n=78) and the experimental group (UGMWA, n=84). Thyroid function indicators, surgical time, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, complications, and cosmetic effects were compared between the two groups.

All patients recovered and were discharged after treatment. Three months postoperatively, both groups showed lower levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) compared to pre-surgery levels, while levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were higher. However, compared with the control group, the experimental group had higher FT3 and FT4 levels and lower TSH levels (all P < 0.05). Additionally, patients in the experimental group had shorter surgical time, less intraoperative blood loss, and lower VAS pain scores than those in the control group. Moreover, the postoperative cosmetic effect scores were higher in the experimental group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Finally, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P=0.523).

UGMWA for the treatment of nodular goiters can expedite surgical time, protect thyroid function, reduce postoperative pain scores, and improve cosmetic effects with certain safety.