Thyroid nodules are being detected in more and more people. One of the reasons for the increase in the incidence of thyroid nodules is the improvement of medical standards, the increasing number of people who pay attention to health, and the better ultrasound technology used to detect thyroid nodules, resulting in a significantly higher detection rate of thyroid nodules than before.
What if thyroid nodules are found in physical examination?
At present, the treatment methods of thyroid nodules mainly include observation and follow-up, drug therapy, surgical resection, etc.
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It goes without saying that observation and follow-up are regular follow-up examinations.
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Levothyroxine sodium tablets are currently commonly used for drug therapy, but there is not enough evidence to prove that it can obviously inhibit the growth of thyroid nodules, so it is not recommended.
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As for surgery, it is divided into traditional surgery and endoscopic surgery at this stage.
Traditional thyroidectomy will leave scars on the body surface. The advantage of thyroid endoscopic surgery is that it will not cause obvious scar on the body surface, which is undoubtedly a good choice for beauty lovers. However, due to the surgical method of endoscopic surgery, subcutaneous peeling is required in a large range, and the actual damage will be greater.
In short, the recommended method for nodules is regular reexamination, and surgery is necessary. However, many people hesitated when they heard that [surgery] was needed. Against this background, ablation, a new treatment method for thyroid nodules, has received more and more attention.
Advantages of Ablation
Compared with traditional surgery and endoscopic surgery, ablation can treat nodules without surgery. Common ablation methods include:
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Thermal ablation, including microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation, etc.;
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Anhydrous ethanol injection ablation;
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Radionuclide iodine ablation, etc.
Among them, ultrasound-guided thermal ablation has become one of the main methods for minimally invasive treatment of thyroid nodules due to its flexible operation and wider application.
The principle of thermal ablation is to use thermal energy to cause coagulation necrosis of lesion tissues and cells at high temperature and finally be absorbed by the body so as to achieve the purpose of [ablating] local lesions.
Compared with traditional surgery, the minimally invasive nature of thyroid thermal ablation is beyond doubt, and its effectiveness and feasibility have also been confirmed. Some hospitals have also carried out ablation treatment programs for nodules.
Is ablation recommended?
Ablation at present, Compared with traditional surgery, There are advantages, However, ablation has been used for a relatively short period of time in the treatment of thyroid nodules. At present, a set of effective specifications has not been formed. Its safety, scope of application, occurrence of complications, whether the failure of treatment will increase the risk and difficulty of surgery, long-term effect and recurrence rate, whether thyroid autoimmune diseases will be caused, etc. all need more time and research to verify.
It is also for this reason that the American Thyroid Association (ATA) has not included this treatment method in the treatment recommendation for thyroid nodules.
Although ablation does not unify its scope of application, the following people carefully choose ablation:
- A nodule suspected of malignant transformation; Severe coagulation dysfunction; Severe cardiopulmonary and renal insufficiency; The contralateral vocal cord function of the lesion is abnormal.
It is best to consult a doctor more before determining the treatment plan, understand the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment plan, and listen to the doctor’s advice.