Radiofrequency for benign thyroid nodules-critical review of the literature

Abstract

Benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) are commonly found in general population. They are usually asymptomatic and their incidence has increased as a result of wide-spread use of ultrasound. Benign nodules are typically monitored clinically until they increase in size, resulting in compressive symptoms warranting surgery. However, although surgery is generally well-tolerated and of low-risk, it is associated with a small risk for several complications including hypothyroidism, nerve injury, hematoma, injury to other structures and wound infection. Recently, newer minimally invasive techniques including Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been introduced. RFA has a similar safety profile when compared to surgery and has shown promising results in challenging surgical candidates. RFA for BTNs is rapidly gaining popularity due to wide availability of the radiofrequency generators, its minimally invasive nature, its preservation of thyroid function, and lower rate of complications. As RFA is a progressive technique that is now being used more frequently, it has opened the way to exploration of new adjunct methods to enhance its efficacy and increase the area of ablation. Currently, more medical centers around the globe are adopting to this technique. In this review, we discuss the latest literature on the fundamentals of RFA, indications of the procedure, and the outcomes.