Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Thyroid cystic nodules (TCN) are generally due to degenerative changes within colloid nodules or adenomas. True thyroid cysts are uncommon. But the prevalence of malignancy among TCN is controversial since some authors consider it to be low risk while some others consider it to have the same risks as malignancy as the solid lesions of the thyroid. Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is utilised for treating benign cystic thyroid nodules. It is a protected option for cystic TNs and compelling treatment for lessening strong TNs of various sizes whether or not hyperfunctioning. In this meta-analysis study, the aim is to obtain strong evidence regarding the safety and long-term efficacy of PEI.

Methods: Data reported on compressive symptoms, cosmetic concerns, and volume reduction rate were collected from different well-known databases like PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Data collected since 2020 were used for this study. For pooling the data, a random-effects model was also designed.

Results: From the final selected 395 papers, 19 studies that evaluated 1667 nodules were included. Volume reduction rate at 6, 12, 24, 36, 60 and 120 months were 78%, 82%, 73%, 69%, 75% and 70% respectively. Observations were made for significant reductions of cosmetic concerns and compressive symptoms. However, extremely durable inconveniences were not seen in this review.

Conclusions: In this present meta-analysis study, the PEI significantly reduced the volume of harmless cystic thyroid nodules. This reduction was seen as effective at the post-treatment of six months, and stability was seen in the effects over time.