Interventional Treatment of Thyroid Nodules

Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem that can be benign or malignant. Contrary to malignant thyroid nodules, benign thyroid nodules do not generally require treatment. However, some patients with benign nodules may require treatment for functional abnormalities or mass effects. Although surgery is curative for thyroid nodules and radioactive iodine therapy is effective for autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTNs), some patients are unsuitable for surgery because of high surgical risk. Other patients refuse these treatments for various reasons. Furthermore, there is a substantial risk of hypothyroidism for radioactive iodine therapy of AFTNs. Thyroidectomy carries a risk of complications such as bleeding, infection, nerve injury, hypothyroidism, and hypoparathyroidism. Efforts have been made to avoid these outcomes, and nonsurgical treatments for benign thyroid nodules, such as chemical and thermal ablations, have been developed.