Complications Following Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review examined whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe treatment modality for benign thyroid nodules (BTNs).

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for articles that (a) targeted human beings and (b) had a study population with BTNs that were confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology and/or core needle biopsy.

STUDY SELECTION

Thirty-two studies relating to 3409 patients were included in this systematic review.

RESULTS

Based on literatures, no deaths were associated with the procedure, serious complications were rare, and RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality. However, a broad spectrum of complications offers insights into some undesirable complications, such as track needle seeding and Horner syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

RFA appears to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment modality for BTNs. More research is needed to characterize the complications of RFA for thyroid nodules.