Ethanol Injection for Thyroid Lesions and Other Selected Indications (CPB 0395, reviewed 2026-07-06)
Ethanol sclerotherapy of thyroglossal duct cysts is medically necessary only when a monocystic lesion is present, cystographic studies show no extravasation, and cytology shows the lesion is benign. Ethanol sclerotherapy is also medically necessary for symptomatic venous malformations of the head and neck, absolute ethanol injection is medically necessary for overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and ethanol ablation is medically necessary for benign thyroid nodules. Ethanol sclerotherapy for endometrioma, intradiscal radiopaque gelified ethanol injection for lumbar disc herniation, percutaneous ethanol injection for thyroid cancer, and ultrasound-guided ethanol sclerotherapy for Warthin's tumor are considered experimental, investigational, or unproven.