[Fine needle puncture--method of treatment in nodular pathology of the thyroid]

Fine needle biopsy (FNB) has been used as a therapeutic method in different nodular lesions of the thyroid. Between 1989-1995, 295 subjects with thyroid cysts, 235 women and 60 men have been treated by FNB. The treatment of cysts was performed by: one or multiple aspirations in 207 cases, sclerosis by injection with tetracycline in 77 cases and by ethanol washing in 11 cases. 263 (89.11%) cases have been cured and we have lost track of 32 cases in the survey. Of the 207 cases treated by aspiration, 177 (86.5%) have been cured after one or more aspirations. Of the 77 cases treated by injections with tetracycline, 75 (97.26%) displayed sclerosis after one or more injections. All 11 cases treated by ethanol washing method displayed sclerosis. Between 1993-1995 we used percutaneous ethanol injection (PE1) in 6 cases, as an alternative to the classic treatment, in order to induce necrosis of toxic adenoma. After 1 to 9 injections all cases were cured, with the appearance of the entire image of the gland on the scintigram. In 4 cases of cold nodules with benign cytology PEI, induced a significant decrease of volume appreciated by sonography.