Surgical aspects of thyroid nodules previously treated by ethanol injection

Some concern has been expressed about surgical operations in thyroid nodule s previously treated by ethanol injection: the reasons are mainly represent ed both by the possibility of more surgical risks due to the adhesions caus ed by ethanol and the difficulty of interpreting the histological pattern w hen a cancer is suspected. During the last 8 years 219 patients underwent e thanol injection: among these 6 were subsequently submitted to surgical ope ration. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 5 cases and isthmusectomy in o ne case: No vocal cord palsy was registered in these patients..They were al l normocalcemic after surgery Histology showed no significant fibrosis in t he ethanol treated nodules but only macrofollicles and this did not affect the histological examination in presence of suspected malignancies.