Clinical endocrinology
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Clinical endocrinology · May 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialThe analgesic efficacy of lidocaine/prilocaine (EMLA) cream during fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules.
Pain is one of the few drawbacks of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in patients with nodular thyroid disease (NTD). Lidocaine/prilocaine cream, an eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA), is a frequently used topical anaesthetic. Despite its well-documented efficacy for the relief of pain associated with other cutaneous procedures that involve needle insertion, the analgesic role of EMLA has not been previously reported in patients with NTD who are undergoing FNAB. The aim of this study was to determine the analgesic efficacy of EMLA for FNAB-associated pain in patients with NTD. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that a topical anaesthetic, EMLA, provides an effective and noninvasive analgesia during the FNAB of NTD.