Effectiveness of Radioiodine Treatment for Toxic Nodular Goiter

Radioiodine versus radiofrequency ablation to treat autonomously functioning thyroid nodules: a systematic review and comparative meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Radioiodine (RAI) is a well-established first-line therapy for autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN). Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that has been proposed as an alternative treatment option for hyperthyroidism caused by AFTN. Although RFA has been shown to be useful for reducing nodule volume and improving TSH levels in AFTN, no comprehensive comparative clinical studies have been proposed to evaluate the overall response to RFA treatment. The aim of this comparative systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the response of RAI and RFA treatments in AFTN.

METHODS

A systematic search strategy was applied in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov until July 2023 without time or language restrictions. Studies investigating the response to RAI and/or RFA treatment in AFTN patients 6 and/or 12 months after treatment were included. The risk of bias was assessed based on the study design. Random-effect models were used for the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-three articles (28 reports) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Overall, RAI therapy was found to have a significantly higher treatment response (94%) than RFA (59%), although the volume of AFTNs was reduced to a similar extent. In the direct comparison (n = 3 studies), RFA showed a higher risk of non-response than RAI (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.94-1.63; z = 1.55; p = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate the superiority of RAI over RFA in terms of success rates and safety profile and confirm RAI as the first choice for the treatment of AFTNs.

Mechanism Study on Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Nodular Goiter

Nodular goiter has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Clinically, there has been a burgeoning interest in nodular goiter due to the risk of progression to thyroid cancer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of Chinese medicine (CM) in nodular goiter. Articles were systematically retrieved from databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. New evidence showed that CM exhibited multi-pathway and multi-target characteristics in the treatment of nodular goiter, involving hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, oxidative stress, blood rheology, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy, especially inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of cell apoptosis, involving multiple signal pathways and a variety of cytokines. This review provides a scientific basis for the therapeutic use of CM against nodular goiter. Nonetheless, future studies are warranted to identify more regulatory genes and pathways to provide new approaches for the treatment of nodular goiter.

Evaluation of ultrasonographical and cytological features of thyroid nodules in patients treated with radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism

BACKGROUND

In this study, we aimed to evaluate ultrasonographical and cytological features of thyroid nodules in patients who were treated with radioactive iodine (RAI) for hyperthyroidism years ago.

METHODS

Patients who had a history of RAI treatment for hyperthyroidism and had thyroid nodules that were evaluated with fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included in the study.

RESULTS

There were 27 patients (22 female and 5 male) with a mean age of 59.3 ± 13.5. The indication for RAI treatment was Graves in 5 (18.6%), toxic nodular or multinodular goiter in 16 (69.2%), and unknown in 6 (22.2%) patients. A total of 48 thyroid nodules were evaluated with FNAB and cytological diagnosis were benign in 24 (50.0%), nondiagnostic in 15 (31.2%), atypia of undetermined significance in 5 (10.4%), suspicous for malignancy in 2 (4.2%), and malignant in 2 (4.2%) nodules. Thyroidectomy was performed in 10 patients, 5 were benign (50.0%), and 5 (50.0%) were malignant histopathologically. Ultrasonography features of 31 cytologically/histopathologically benign and five cytologically/histopathologically malignant nodules were compared. Prevalence of isoechoic nodules was higher in benign nodules (P = .025). Macrocalcification was observed in 4 (80.0%) of malignant and 10 (32.3%) of benign nodules (P = .042).

CONCLUSION

In patients with a history of RAI treatment for hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules with suspicious ultrasonography features, particulary hypoechoic appearence and macrocalcification, should be evaluated with FNAB irrespective of the time elapsed after RAI treatment.

Comparison between radioiodine therapy and single-session radiofrequency ablation of autonomously functioning thyroid nodules: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of Radioiodine (RI) and Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTNs). End-points: nodule volume reduction (NVR) and thyroid function normalization.

DESIGN, PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS

Twenty-two patients (2:20 M:F; 51.9 ± 13.9 years) affected by 25 AFTNs, treated by RFA were retrospectively compared with 25 patients (8:17 M:F; 57.2 ± 12.8 years) affected by a single AFTN treated by RI. Both group showed analogous characteristics as to age, gender, toxic/pretoxic phase and pretreatment nodule volume (calculated by the ellipsoid formula). Thyroid hormone levels and autoimmune thyroid profile were assessed before treatment. A fixed RI activity of 555 MBq (15 mCi) was administered. RFA was performed with an 18G, single-tipped electrode, by the "modified moving shot technique." Thyroid hormones were assessed and the nodule post-treatment volume calculated 12 months after treatment.

RESULTS

No statistical difference was found between the post-treatment NVR by comparing RI and RFA (P = 0.69). The volume reduction rates were 68.4 ± 28.9% and 76.4 ± 16.9% after RI and RFA, respectively. As to the thyroid function, 5/25 patients developed clinical hypothyroidism after RI. After RFA, all the 22 patients silenced their AFTN and normalized the thyroid hormones. Subclinical hypothyroidism was recorded in two patients after both RI and RFA. Thus, the functional therapeutic success, defined as the restoration of euthyroidism, was achieved in 18/25 (72%) patients treated by RI and in 20/22 (90.9%) treated by RFA.

CONCLUSIONS

No statistical difference in NVR was found between RI and RFA. All patients responded to RI but 5/25 were "over-treated" developing hypothyroidism. RFA was effective in all patients with no case of post-treatment clinical hypothyroidism. No radiation exposure and lower risk of post-treatment hypothyroidism might make RFA the favourite option especially for young patients.