Large cyst on Thyroid, is Ethanol injection an option?

[dan123]

Hi all, i have a large thyroid cyst on the right side of my thyroid (6x4cm) that has steadily grown over the last 10 years or so, I've had several FNA and they've all come back benign, but I want the lump to be gone.

My endocrinologist suggested partial thyroidectomy to remove the right side. Only problem is, my profession is a singer, actor and voice-over artist, my voice is my entire career. I've read horror stories about people have vocal chord problems for months after, and as I've recently paid of my student loans my family and I are essentially living hand-to-mouth at the moment, if I lost my voice for any length of time myself and my young children would become homeless, it's not a risk I can take.

As it's just a cyst they have tried draining it, but the liquid inside was too thick to drain with a standard needle, they said they could do it surgically but unless it was removed it would likely fill back up in a few months. I have read about Ethanol injections, my doctor says they don't do that here as it's experimental and has risks, although I've read it's standard procedure in places like Italy.

Is it possible to get Ethanol injection here in the UK? If not could I get it done in Italy? I'm keep to get the unsightly lump removed (it really knocks my confidence and find myself wearing high neck tops or scarfs all the time, which affects my acting roles obviously).

Any help greatly appreciated.

[tilly83]

I don';t know but would it help to contact specialist in Italy, first find friend who is fluent so absolutely no misunderstandings....... there must be someone over here who knows about his.......I too have lump on thyroid.... would be very interested in finding out alternatives.....x

[Limbolass]

Did you get this done? I'm looking into ethanol injections too as my friends mum had it done & it worked first time for her, she fully recovered, this was in Italy (they're Italian.) She told me it's better to have ethanol injections. But my hospital docs have not even mentioned that as an option, it's all about surgery & radiology. I have a large irregular shaped cyst on right side of my thyroid plus a smaller one. I had a biopsy back in December & didn't hear back from the hospital so was worrying they had forgot about me (Whipps Cross, which has just got a really bad report that was on the news.) Got my GP to contact them but they just said they hadn't finished testing, this was in March! He contacted them again & they finally let him know that my sample was insufficient to make diagnosis. So having another biopsy next week & seeing the surgeon next month. I didn't realise it wasn't really used in UK. Did you find a doctor here who did it? It would be a pain if I had to go all the way to Italy to get it done, mind you could make a nice holiday of it...