Long-Term Efficacy of Ethanol Ablation as Treatment of Metastatic Lymph Nodes From Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

CONTEXT: Ethanol ablation (EA) is considered an alternative to surgery for metastatic lymph nodes from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in selected patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of this treatment. DESIGN AND SETTING: Adult patients with PTC who had received EA in lymph node metastasis at a tertiary referral center, and were included in a published study from 2011, were invited to participate in this follow-up study. METHODS: Radiologic and medical history were reviewed. Ultrasound examination of the neck was performed by radiologists, and clinical examination was performed by an endocrine surgeon. Response was reported according to predefined criteria for satisfactory EA treatment. Adverse events associated with EA were evaluated. Cause of death was reported for deceased patients. RESULTS: From the 2011 study, 51 of 63 patients were included. Forty-four patients were reexamined (67/109 lesions) and 7 patients were deceased. Median follow-up time from primary surgery was 14.5 years. Median follow-up from the latest performed EA in the 2011 study was 11.3 years. Local control was permanently achieved in most patients (80%). Recurrence within an ablated node was registered in 13 metastases in 10 patients. Seven of these patients also had recurrent disease elsewhere in the neck. No major side effects were reported. CONCLUSION: EA is a minimally invasive procedure with a low risk of complications. Our data suggest that EA is a safe and efficient treatment, providing excellent results for a large group of patients in the long term.