This Article Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Reddy, N. M. S. Articles by Krishnamurthi, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Reddy, N. M. S. Articles by Krishnamurthi, S.

On minimisation of toxicity to skin during capacitive radio-frequency hyperthermia

Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, Madras 600 020, India

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

Common techniques to induce tissue hyperthermia (HT) with radio-frequency (RF) currents are either capacitive or inductive in type (Cheung, 1982; Cosset et al, 1983). An advantage with RF capacitive HT is the possibility of heating deep-seated tissues (Cheung, 1982; U et al, 1984). However, during capacitive heating the higher resistivity of subcutaneous tissues results in excessive heating, which leads to skin and fat burns and induration (Arcangeli et al, 1983; Perez et al, 1983; Hiraoka et al, 1984; Oleson et al, 1984; U et al, 1984). To prevent the direct contact of the electrode with the skin, electrodes are enclosed in bolus bags through which cooled fluids such as saline (Brezovich et al, 1981; Cheung, 1982) or deionised water (Hiraoka et al, 1984; Prionas & Hahn, 1984; U et al, 1984) are circulated. Brezovich et al (1981) have shown that the skin burns during RF capacitive heating could be reduced by using a saline bolus of tissue-equivalent conductivity and Griffiths et al (1984) have reported that the extent of RF power deposition in the tissues depends on the conductivity of the bolus. Here we report clinical data which, in addition to confirming the observations of Brezovich et al (1981), indicate that the excessive heating of subcutaneous fat could be reduced by cooling through the bolus and that a poorly conductive bolus should not be used during capacitive heating.

Received for publication April 1, 1986.