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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022; 130(06): 374-380
DOI: 10.1055/a-1719-4441
Article

Effectiveness of High-intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Therapy of Solid and Complex Benign Thyroid Nodules – A Long-term Follow up Two-center Study

Anne Fischer
1   DZTA - Deutsches Zentrum für Thermoablation e.V. Bürgerhospital Frankfurt Nibelungenallee Frankfurt
,
Hüdayi Korkusuz
2   Afyonkarahisar Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi, Turkey
,
Christian Vorländer
3   Bürgerhospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main
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Erratum: Effectiveness of High-intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Therapy of Solid and Complex Benign Thyroid Nodules – A Long-term Follow up Two-center StudyExp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022; 130(06): e5-e5
DOI: 10.1055/a-1751-1953

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the effectiveness of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of solid and complex benign thyroid nodules.

Methods Fifty-eight patients with benign thyroid nodules were treated with HIFU at two centers from 2014–2019. The device, EchoPulse (Teraclion, Malakoff, France), heats the nodes to 80–90 °C. Nodal volumes were measured by ultrasound at regular intervals before and up to 12 months after therapy. In a retrospective long-term two-center study, average volume reductions in relation to baseline volume were statistically analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Side effects were documented.

Results In solid nodules, the average percent volume reductions at the 3, 6, 9, and 12-months follow-up were 49.98%, 46.40%, 65.77%, and 63.88%, respectively. The results were significant with p<0.05 in the Wilcoxon signed-rank test at the 3, 6, and 9-months follow-up. In complex nodules, the average percent volume reduction was 35.2% at 3 months, 36.89% at 6 months, and 63.64% at twelve months follow up. The results were significant with p<0.05 in the Wilcoxon signed-rank test at the 3- and 6-months follow-up. The complication rate was 5.2%. All complications occurred in patients with solid nodules.

Conclusion The study showed that HIFU is an effective treatment method for both solid and complex nodules. The complication rate is relatively high at 5.2%. No long-term complications occurred. The solid nodules responded better to HIFU than complex nodules.

Key words

thermoablation - nodal morphology - volume reduction - therapeutic effect


Publication History

Received: 01 June 2021
Received: 18 November 2021

Accepted: 06 December 2021

Article published online:
10 January 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
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