From September 1988 to May 1985, 67 cases of thyroid cysts were treated with aspiration and ethanol injection. Patients were followed up clinically and ultrasonically 6 month to 4 years after treatment. Cure was defined as complete disappealance of the cyst or presence of a residual fibrotic mass less than 1 cm in diameter, effectiveness was defined as the residual mass less than 50% of the original one. After one to three injections, 27 out of 36 patients of thyroid adnoma with cystic change (75 %)were cured, the effective rate was 88.2%. The cure rate of nodular goiter with cystic change was 50%(14 out of 28 cases, while the effective rate was 82%.No serious complication occurred in this series. During the period of following up, no malignant change was found. The results suggest that aspiration of thyroid cyst with ethanol injection is a simple, well tolerated and low cost technique.
