Results of sclerotherapy for recurrent and non-recurrent nodular goiter

Background. The problems of treating recurrent nodular goiter are still relevant. The technical difficulties of the intervention on the neck tissues altered by the scarring process and the comorbid background of patients cause an unacceptably high risk of complications of traditional surgical treatment and, as a result, a long and difficult rehabilitation period and high costs for the treatment of patients who have undergone surgery for recurrent goiter. Alternative methods, such as sclerotherapy, which reduce the risk of complications, have been successfully used in patients with non-operated thyroid, but the possibilities of minimally invasive destruction of recurrent nodules have not been studied enough, and it is not known whether it is as safe and effective as sclerotherapy of non-recurrent nodules. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of treatment of recurrent and non-recurrent nodular goiter using sclerotherapy. Materials and methods. The study included 30 previously not operated patients with nodular goiter and 30 patients with recurrent nodular goiter. All of them underwent 4 courses of sclerotherapy, each of which included 5 sessions with a frequency of 1 session per week; polidocanol was used as a sclerosant. Results. The analysis showed that the efficiency of reduction of nodules did not decrease in patients with recurrent goiter, despite severe sclerotic changes in the tissues. The size of the nodules and the volume of thyroid tissue were reduced during sclerotherapy, regardless of the presence of a history of thyroid surgery, as well as the cure of functional autonomy and relief of symptoms of neck compression. The tolerability of sclerotherapy also did not depend on the presence of recurrent goiter, and the rate of complications was the same (0.8%). Complications of sclerotherapy were not serious in any case. Conclusions. Thus, sclerotherapy of recurrent nodules is a good alternative to traditional surgical treatment; it is not inferior in efficiency and safety to sclerotherapy of nodules in a non-operated thyroid. Its use will significantly reduce the rehabilitation period and the cost of treating patients with recurrent nodular goiter.