title: Efficacy assessment of newly developed open-window intervention needles for the treatment of cystic thyroid nodules that cannot be aspirated.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to develop a novel open-window needle aspiration method and evaluate its efficacy in drainage and sclerotherapy of cystic thyroid nodules that cannot be aspirated with an 18-gauge needle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two rectangular windows 5.0 mm in length and 1.0 mm wide were placed at the end of the percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTCA) needle trocar to develop a new open-window intervention needle. The efficiency of the open-window intervention needle was compared either to a porous interventional needle or to an ordinary PTCA needle by assessing the aspiration efficiency. The efficacy of the modified open-window approach was tested by carrying out sclerotherapy and drainage on 21 thyroid cystic nodules that could not be aspirated with an 18-gauge needle and comparing it to aspiration with an 18-gauge PTCA needle of 50 cystic thyroid nodules.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The efficacy of aspirating coupling agents of various specifications using the new open-window intervention was superior to aspiration using the PTCA trocar needle or a porous needle (p<0.05). Ethanol ablation efficacy in the treatment of 21 cystic thyroid nodules that could not be aspirated with an 18-gauge needle and the aspiration efficacy of 50 cystic thyroid nodules with an 18-gauge PTCA needle were not significantly different (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new open-window intervention needle approach was highly effective in conducting ethanol ablation of cystic thyroid nodules that could not be aspirated using conventional methodologies.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Ultrasound, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University , Quanzhou, China .
authors.forename: Guorong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Shaohua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Boyi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaokang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shilin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000379:methods; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol