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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma with calcifications: short-term imaging
Xinyi Zhou1, Fan Yang1, Lei Zhang1
1Department of ultrasound, Harbin medical university cancer hospital, No. 150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the technical feasibility and short-term imaging evolution of ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with calcification, while also analyzing the differences associated with calcification sizes.
Methods:
A total of 69 PTMCs with calcification were identified from 69 patients who underwent RFA or MWA between January 2022 and April 2025, and were retrospectively analyzed. The following outcomes were evaluated: technical success, changes in tumor volume and volume reduction rate (VRR), complete tumor disappearance, and complications.
Results:
The technical success rate was 100%. During a median follow-up of 15 months (range 6-33 months), significant differences in mean volume and VRR (versus baseline) were observed at all follow-up time points but not at the 3-month point. The overall complete disappearance rate was 43.5% (median 25 months), significantly higher and faster in the microcalcification group (55.3%; median 25 months) than that in the macrocalcification group (29.0%; median 30 months) (P = 0.029). The rate of overall complications was 2.9%, with no significant intergroup difference (2.6% vs. 3.3%, P = 1.000).
Conclusions:
Ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for PTMC with calcification is technically feasible. On short-term sonographic assessment, although favorable changes were observed, the macrocalcification group showed a lower complete disappearance rate and a longer median time to disappearance.
