Resumo:
Thyroid nodules are a frequent problem in clinical practice, reaching almost half of the general
population, especially in the long-lived. Nodular goiters motivate clinical investigation because they
may carry malignancy or because they can grow and cause compressive symptoms. Malignant nodules in the minority should be operated. Benign nodules that reach large dimensions and represent most nodules need not be operated at all. Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) has been used to reduce nodule volume. Objective: To evaluate possible benefits of percutaneous ethanol injection in the reduction of thyroid nodules. Methods: This systematic review defined articles published in PUBMED/MEDLINE and LILACS as the database using the keywords "percutaneous ethanol injection treatment of thyroid nodules". Results: We analyzed 19 articles, 16 of them describing the evolution of solitary thyroid nodules of cystic content after the percutaneous injection of different volumes of ethanol in previously healthy patients. Conclusion: thyroid nodules with cystic content are the ones with the best response to IPE treatment. However, more work is needed to evaluate which of the methodologies used has the best results.
