ENDOCRINOLOGY THYROID RESEARCH

The Promise of RFA in Graves' Disease: A Promising New Frontier

By Dr Shahzad Ahmad on SEP 10, 2025

Dr Shahzad Ahmad and his team are dedicated to exploring and adopting the latest advancements in endocrinology to provide the best possible care for our patients. We are excited to share a unique study and our early experience with a novel approach for treating Graves' disease with small volume goiters: radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

A Groundbreaking Study

A recent prospective study published in the Europena Journal of Radiology investigated the use of a single RFA session for patients with persistent or relapsed Graves' disease. While conventional treatments like antithyroid drugs (ATDs), radioiodine therapy (RAI), and surgery are effective, many patients experience a relapse after discontinuing medication. The study's findings are particularly encouraging, showing a 56.7% disease remission rate at 24 months.

Our Experience at the Endocrinology Center of Utah

Inspired by this research, and having had the pleasure of meeting some of the authors, we have begun to apply RFA in our practice. Dr Shahzad Ahmad with his over 7 year experience of perfomring Thyroid RFA has now performed two cases of Graves' disease with small volume goiters (less than 40 CC). we are thrilled to report that both patients have remained in remission, 6-7 months post-treatment from a single RFA session! We are preparing to submit these cases for publication soon, contributing our findings to the growing body of evidence.

What This Means for Our Patients

The success of RFA in these specific cases highlights the need for a prospective study in the United States to further validate these findings and explore the full potential of this treatment modality. For patients with persistent Graves' disease and small goiters, RFA may offer a minimally invasive alternative to traditional therapies, with a high potential for long-term remission and minimal complications.

We look forward to continuing our work in this area and contributing to the advancement of thyroid care.

Shahzad Ahmad MD, ECNU Salt Lake City, USA