Complications Following Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review

• Main Authors: Jin-Fen Wang, Tao Wu, Kun-Peng Hu, Wen Xu, Bo-Wen Zheng, Ge Tong, Zhi-Cheng Yao, Bo Liu, Jie Ren
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer 2017-01-01
• Series: Chinese Medical Journal
• Subjects: Benign Nodules; Complications; Radiofrequency Ablation; Thyroid
• Online Access: http://www.cmj.org/article.asp?issn=0366-6999;year=2017;volume=130;issue=11;spage=1361;epage=1370;aulast=Wang

Objective: This systematic review examined whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe treatment modality for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for articles that (a) targeted human beings and (b) had a study population with BTNs that were confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology and/or core needle biopsy. Study Selection: Thirty-two studies relating to 3409 patients were included in this systematic review. Results: Based on literatures, no deaths were associated with the procedure, serious complications were rare, and RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality. However, a broad spectrum of complications offers insights into some undesirable complications, such as track needle seeding and Horner syndrome. Conclusions: RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality for BTNs. More research is needed to characterize the complications of RFA for thyroid nodules.