Ethanol ablation is an established treatment option for patients with benign fluid-filled nodules that are causing local symptoms and/or cosmetic issues. It is normally considered once simple aspiration (removal) of the fluid of the nodule has been unsuccessful and is a much more straightforward treatment option than RFA or surgery.
In carefully selected cases where the nodules are either purely or mostly fluid filled with very little solid tissue, it has been shown to cause shrinkage in 85% to 95% of cases and nodules may shrink by 70% to 90%. The shrinkage occurs gradually over several weeks to months and shrinkage is associated with improvement in symptoms and appearance. It is less effective if the nodules contain more solid tissue and if the nodules are particularly large. These cases might require repeated treatment but an alternative approach such as RFA might also be considered.
