Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for benign thyroid nodules results in earlier and faster nodule shrinkage in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis than in those with normal thyroid function.

The relationship between VRR and follow-up time for ultrasound-guided MWA for BTN is nonlinear and exhibits a threshold effect. The current results indicated that the VRR in both groups increased before and after the inflection point, although the rate of change was greater before than after the inflection point. The inflection point occurs earlier in patients with BTN + HT than in those with BTN yet normal thyroid function, and this difference may be related to the "oven effect" involved in the development of HT.