{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T16:08:47Z","timestamp":1781712527275,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,29]],"date-time":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1616976000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Endocrinol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency thermal ablation has been proposed as an effective and safe procedure for treating patients who have low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinomas and\/or are unfit for surgery. We present the case of a 72-year old male patient with a small thyroid nodule diagnosed as papillary carcinoma after fine needle aspiration. Since the patient had other serious comorbidities, priority was given to other therapies and the malignant thyroid nodule was submitted to active surveillance. After detecting at a follow-up examination a slight dimensional increase of the nodule, the possibility of a radiofrequency thermal ablation was proposed to our patient, who accepted. The procedure was safely and effectively carried out. Follow-up examinations with ultrasonography (or contrast enhanced ultrasound), conducted after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, demonstrated a progressive reduction of size and loss of vascularization in the treated area. The fine needle aspiration was repeated after 6 months: the sample revealed a very poor cellularity composed of inflammatory cells and thick colloid; no residual neoplastic cells were observed. Our experience confirmed what already demonstrated by previous reports: radiofrequency ablation can effectively eliminate small papillary carcinomas, with a very low complication rate. It may be an alternative strategy for the treatment of low-risk, indolent papillary thyroid microcarcinomas, thus avoiding the potential side-effects of surgery in patients at risk for relevant comorbidities.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2021.566362","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,29]],"date-time":"2021-03-29T13:09:16Z","timestamp":1617023356000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation for a Small Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Patient Unfit for Surgery: A Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Francesca","family":"Maletta","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Garberoglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Bisceglia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Ragni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Retta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Gallo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Garberoglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mauro","family":"Papotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02656736.2019.1708480","article-title":"Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 198 patients","volume":"37","author":"Wu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Hyperthermia"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3348\/kjr.2017.18.4.615","article-title":"Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation: Updates on Innovative Devices and Techniques","volume":"18","author":"Park","year":"2017","journal-title":"Korean J Radiol"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3348\/kjr.2019.0724","article-title":"Feasibility of Adjustable Electrodes for Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules","volume":"21","author":"Lee","year":"2020","journal-title":"Korean J Radiol"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00268-003-6903-1","article-title":"Complications of thyroid surgery: analysis of a multicentric study on 14,934 patients operated on in Italy over 5 years","volume":"28","author":"Rosato","year":"2004","journal-title":"World J Surg"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02656736.2016.1230893","article-title":"Radiofrequency ablation of low-risk small papillary thyroid carcinoma: preliminary results for patients ineligible for surgery","volume":"33","author":"Kim","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Hyperthermia"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.15140079","article-title":"Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for treatment of locally recurrent thyroid cancers smaller than 2 cm","volume":"276","author":"Kim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3348\/kjr.2018.19.4.632","article-title":"2017 Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation Guideline: Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology","volume":"19","author":"Kim","year":"2018","journal-title":"Korean J Radiol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4158\/EP161208.GL","article-title":"American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Endocrinology, and Associazione Medici Endocrinologi medical guidelines for clinical practice for the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules - 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