Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules: effects on inflammatory factors and thyroid function.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation on inflammatory factors and thyroid function in patients with benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: A total of 150 patients with benign thyroid nodules treated in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital from January 2017 to December 2018 were selected as research participants, with 75 patients in each group. Patients in the control group received traditional surgery, while those in the study group were treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation. The two groups were compared in terms of the following: clinical effect, quality of life scores, white blood cell count (WBC), hypersensitive-C-reactive-protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), FT3, FT4, and TT4. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (96.00% vs. 77.33%). Before operation, there was no significant difference in WBC, VAS score, or the levels of hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, E, and NE between the two groups (all P>0.05); After operation, WBC, and the levels of hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, E, and NE increased significantly in both groups and were lower in the study group (all P<0.05). The nodule volume in the study group decreased with time. The serum levels of TSH, FT3, FT4, and TT4 in the study group were better than those in the control group (P<0.05). The study group obtained a lower incidence of postoperative complications than the control group (4.00% vs. 14.00%). In addition, the cosmetic score was higher and the symptom score was lower in the study group compared with the control group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with benign thyroid nodules, the ultrasound-guided microwave ablation could effectively reduce nodule volume, preserve thyroid function, and improve the quality of patients' daily life. This is closely related to a reduced inflammatory response.