Percutaneous microwave ablation of thyroid nodules: effects on thyroid function and antibodies

Figures & data

Table 1. Clinical data collected prior to MWA.

			Hormonal status
Patient no.	Age	Nodule volume (mL)	T3 (nmol/L)	T4 (nmol/L)	TSH (mIU/L)	Tg (µg/L)	TRAb (IU/L)	Anti-Tg (kIU/L)	Anti-TPO (kIU/L)
1	59	25	1.3	73	0.68	12.2	0.21	8	7
2	53	3.75	1.5	78	0.59	21.7	0.09	1.4	10
3	74	3.45	1.8	87	1.52	3.06	0.07	109	2190
4	39	15	2.3	122	0.62	3.91	0	272	8
5	64	7.2	2	95	1.03	187	0.007	9	10
6	45	20.7	1.7	97	0.69	13.8	0.2	9	11
7	65	16.1/11.1	1.9	64	0.45	111	0.1	12	6
8	68	20.1/23.7	1.9	66	0.7	689	0	7	13
9	54	84	2.1	90	2.93	51.5	0.2	8	15
10	52	82	3	56	0.02	14.9	0.3	6	5
11	61	28.7	2	82	0.8	78.2	0	9	6
12	32	7.1	2	68	1.31	834	0.21	7	13
13	49	2.1	1.2	75	0.16	20.3	4.4	190	1860
14	75	5.4	1.1	68	0.86	39.5	0.75	8	11
15	57	180	1.6	79	0.08	484	0.1	9	241
16	40	14.2	1.9	124	0.5	198	0	8	12
17	68	154	1.9	87	1.2	203	0	2	4
18	55	22.1/2.59	1.7	55	0.16	521	0.5	5	11
19	53	70.9	1.9	99	0.44	132	0.5	3	12
20	53	11.5/7.8	1.9	83	1.06	149	0	6	14
21	79	9.3	1.8	89	0.38	61.7	0.2	13	9
22	47	10.4	1.5	98	0.64	40	0	23	693
23	62	143	1.1	73	2.69	157	0.3	7	11
24	61	46	1.7	81	0.68	609	0.51	8	9
25	38	20.2	1.9	95	0.8	16.1	0	8	14
26	50	2.6	1.1	72	0.97	5.48	0.18	3	5
27	53	30.0	0.9	79	0.44	5.914	0	4	10
28	47	100	1.9	104	0.97	468	0	9	8
29	52	7.2	2	98	0.86	58	0	4	8
30	74	25.7	1.4	106	0.44	7.2	0.84	9	7

Normal ranges of hormones and antibodies are: T3, 1.0–3.3 nmol/L; T4, 55–170 nmol/L; TSH, 0.3–4.0 mIU/L; Tg, < 1 after thyroidectomy; TRAb, <1.5 IU/L; anti-Tg, <50 kIU/L; anti-TPO, <50 kIU/L. Nodule volume is given as total volume of all nodules per patient.

Figure 1. Serum levels of (a) T3, (b) T4, (c) TSH and (d) Tg prior to microwave ablation (MWA), 24 h after MWA and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Tg values were logarithmised for better illustration.

Table 2. Parameters of thyroid function at different dates of examination.

Parameter	Enrolment	24 h after MWA	3-month follow-up	6-month follow-up
T3 (nmol/L)	1.85 (1.1–5.0)	1.7 (0.9–3.3)	1.7 (1.1–2.3)	1.6 (1.1–2.4)
T4 (nmol/L)	85 (55–124)	86.5 (55–131)	86.5 (62–126)	83 (67–135)
TSH (mIU/L)	0.7 (0.02–2.94)	0.65 (0.007–2.02)	0.97 (0.05–2.34)	0.87 (0.45–2.25)
Tg (µg/L)	59.9 (3.06–7536)	891 (17.3–32051)	53.2 (2.32–7345)	32.04 (0.09–363)
TRAb (IU/L)	0.14 (0–4.4)	0.19 (0–3.6)	0.17 (0–17.9)	0 (0–6.2)
Anti-Tg (kIU/L)	8 (1.4–272)	6.5 (2–135)	8 (1–427)	4 (2–2106)
Anti-TPO (kIU/L)	10.5 (4–2190)	10 (4–1619)	10 (2–7036)	9 (5–5723)

Data are presented as median and range.

Table 3. Patients with pathological findings in antibody measurement.

	TRAb (IU/L)				Anti-Tg (kIU/L)				Anti-TPO (kIU/L)
Patient	Initial	24 h	3 months	6 months	Initial	24 h	3 months	6 months	Initial	24 h	3 months	6 months
1	0.07	0.31	0	–	109	56	70	–	2190	1619	1653	–
2	0	0.3	0	0	272	13	12	3	8	11	7	5
3	4.4	3.6	17.9	0.09	190	135	364	2106	1860	1561	7036	5723
4	0.1	0.83	0.2	–	9	9	11	–	241	296	263	–
5	0.2	0.6	4.2	0.78	13	9	9	3	9	8	18	17
6	0	0	0.15	–	23	14	427	–	693	921	556	–

TRab were considered positive at >1.5 IU/L, anti-Tg were positive at >50 kIU/L and anti-TPO were positive at >50 kIU/L.

Pathological findings in antibody measurement are in bold type.

Figure 2. Ultrasound imaging before microwave ablation (MWA) (a, b), whilst MWA (c) and after 3 months (d, e). Nodule volume prior to MWA was 14.22 mL (43 × 28 × 23 mm) and 5.0 mL (27 × 19 × 19 mm) afterwards.