[On debatable questions of percutaneous sclerosing therapy of benign tumors of the thyroid gland].

Certain debatable questions of the mechanism of reducing the thyroid nodules, technical details of the method are discussed on the basis of considerable clinical experiences with percutaneous sclerosing ethanol therapy of benign thyroid nodules (783 patients) and results of experiments in 150 animals and 11 volunteers. A precise preliminary calculation of the amount of ethanol introduced in one session of the sclerosing therapy and during the whole course of treatment was shown to be necessary and possible. A pronounced inflammatory response during the sclerosing therapy was proved to take place but when ethanol got beyond the limits of the thyroid gland. So, the ethanol destruction of the thyroid tissue is possible in the situation of recurrent disease. The degree of a reduction of the thyroid nodules depends not on their initial size but on their inner structure and the development of the fibrous tissue.