Treating Thyroid Nodules with Heat Treatment

Hoarseness, feeling of pressure in the throat, difficulty swallowing and need to clear the throat, all complaints that can be caused by Thyroid nodules These are often harmless but very disturbing. However, there are also thyroid nodules that lead to hyperthyroidism. Such benign nodules can be removed with radioiodine therapy or surgery - if they need to be treated at all. Experts are critical of the liberal use of surgical interventions to remove thyroid nodules, as this results in too many unnecessary thyroid operations. As an alternative, heat treatment has been offered for a good three years, which is less stressful for the patient.

Examination of every thyroid nodule is important

Before such a therapy can be applied, a comprehensive examination is strongly recommended to exclude a malignant nodule (thyroid cancer). Fortunately, these occur only rarely and make up less than one percent of all thyroid nodules. However, in this case, surgery is required in any case, whereby the complete thyroid To detect this, experienced examiners usually need a Ultrasound examination of the thyroid and the determination of the thyroid levels necessary.

The gentle method to remove thyroid nodules

But how do thyroid nodules develop? In many cases, the cause is increased cell growth. But they can also be the result of scarring in autoimmune thyroid inflammations such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis There are generally two groups of benign thyroid nodules: cold and hot nodules. Cold nodules result from an iodine deficiency, while hot nodules result from an overproduction of hormones. Both adhere to the thyroid as clumps of cells and grow over time until they become uncomfortable. Removal of the nodule is then recommended. The common method for treating cold nodules has so far been surgery, with all its risks and side effects. In conventional treatment, hot nodules are shrunk using complex radioiodine therapy. This process takes several days and in Germany is carried out on an inpatient basis in the form of the administration of radioactive iodine, which increases metabolism and destroys nodules. Both forms of therapy are associated with high side effects for the patient. Thermo-ablation of hot and cold thyroid nodules, which has been practiced for over three years, therefore appears to be an alternative. The altered and excess tissue is specifically treated with heat so that it dies. The decisive advantage is that the irradiation of the node with a precise beam of approximately 85 degrees Celsius can be carried out on an outpatient basis. Side effects such as the risk of an operation with general anesthesia, damage to surrounding tissue, scarring, post-operative bleeding and nerve damage as well as the use of radioactive substances are eliminated with this method. The disadvantage for the patient is that thermal ablation is not yet part of the standard health insurance benefits.

Individual Therapy of Thyroid Nodules

However, due to the numerous positive therapeutic successes achieved with heat treatment for thyroid nodules, there are possibilities for reimbursement by health insurance companies. An exact Diagnosis decides in advance which radiation is the right one for the relevant nodule. Microwave, radio frequency and HIFU radiation are currently available. Radio frequency radiation has proven to be the most effective so far. Studies have shown that around twelve months after treatment, the nodule has shrunk by 50 to 90 percent. Thermal treatment with ultrasound has also proven successful for smaller nodules. This is the most gentle, as the skin is not damaged, but the energy is only sufficient for nodules with a volume of up to 3ml. In our Center for Thyroid Diseases We inform patients about alternative treatment methods for thyroid nodules and give individual recommendations for the method we believe to be most suitable. For the majority of thyroid nodules, a wait-and-see approach can be adopted if the thyroid nodules are regularly monitored with ultrasound.