If you've used Percutaneous Ethanol Injection (PEI) for thyroid cysts, we're trying to build a reference thread sharing your experiences with this treatment. Please feel free to share your results and we'll put this thread into the Health Pages along with the excerpt from the Abstract Article cited below.
From what I've heard, this procedure is still not widely used. Many patients are undergoing avoidable surgery when this procedure is used on benign cysts. Let’s hope that PEI would provide relief for these who are wanted to get rid of unsightly or compressive cyst but cannot afford or does not want surgery.
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For those not familiar with PEI here is an excerpt from an article.
"Simple aspiration of the fluid content of thyroid cysts is ineffective as thyroid cysts usually recur. Our study provides evidence that PEI is a safe, effective, and curative treatment for benign cystic thyroid nodules."
This technique is a simple interventional procedure performed under ultrasound guidance by inserting a special needle inside the thyroid cyst. After aspirating the fluid content of the cyst [using the syringe], the physician injects a small amount of 95% ethanol.
Compared with the traditional surgical treatment of large thyroid cysts, the advantages of PEI include avoidance of surgical risks, outpatient setting, no need for general or local anesthesia, brevity of the procedure (which can be completed in a few minutes), reduced cost, and preservation of normal thyroid tissue.
"Ethanol administration causes the formation of scar tissue and therefore it is usually a definitive cure, while simple cyst evacuation is not,"
source:
Medscape
Ethanol Ablation Safe, Effective for Thyroid Cystic Nodules
Laurie Barclay, MD
Endo 2003: Abstracts OR10-1, OR10-2. Presented June 19, 2003
Looking forward to hearing from those who have had this procedure!
C~