Effects Of Microwave Ablation Treatment On Voice In Benign Thyroid Nodules And Parathyroid Adenomas

This study investigates the effects of microwave ablation (MWA) on voice in patients with benign thyroid nodules and parathyroid adenomas. Patients with benign thyroid nodules or parathyroid adenomas who underwent MWA treatment were included. All patients had videolaryngostroboscopic (VLS) examinations, GRBAS assessments, patient-reported outcomes (Turkish Voice Handicap Index-10 [T-VHI-10] and Turkish Voice Related Quality of Life [T-VRQOL] scales), and acoustic analysis before treatment. Evaluations were repeated at one week and three months post-procedure. For benign thyroid nodules, subjective evaluations showed significant improvements in GRBAS total scores (p<0.001) and patient-reported outcomes (T-VHI-10, p=0.006; T-VRQOL, p=0.010) at three months compared to pre-treatment. For parathyroid adenomas, GRBAS total scores increased significantly in the first week (p=0.001) but were improved by the third month relative to baseline. Acoustic analysis revealed a significant improvement in jitter (%) values for benign thyroid nodules between pre-treatment and one week post-treatment (p=0.005). Shimmer %, F0 (fundamental frequency), and HNR (harmonic noise ratio) remained stable in benign thyroid nodules (p=0.421, 0.134, 0.637), while no significant changes in jitter %, shimmer %, F0, or HNR were observed in parathyroid adenomas (p=0.529, 0.895, 0.931, 0.975). Subjective assessment results showed significant improvements (GRBAS, T-VHI-10, T-V-RQOL) for benign thyroid nodules between pre-treatment and 3 months post-treatment. For parathyroid adenomas, GRBAS total scores at 3 months were better than pre-treatment. No significant changes were found in patient-reported measurement scores (T-VHI-10, T-V-RQOL) in patients with parathyroid adenomas. MWA treatment in patients with benign thyroid nodules positively affected voice by significantly reducing jitter (%), whereas in parathyroid adenomas, acoustic analysis indicated no significant voice changes.