BJR
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
First published online May 11, 2009
British Journal of Radiology (2009) 82, 908-915
© 2009 British Institute of Radiology
doi: 10.1259/bjr/55877882
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by LEE, M W
Right arrow Articles by KWON, W K
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by LEE, M W
Right arrow Articles by KWON, W K

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of small hepatocellular carcinoma invisible on both ultrasonography and unenhanced CT: a preliminary study of combined treatment with transarterial chemoembolisation

M W LEE, MD 1,2 Y J KIM, MD 1 S W PARK, MD 1 J H HWANG, MD 1 S I JUNG, MD 1 H J JEON, MD 1 and W K KWON, MD 3

1 Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 4-12 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143–729, 2 Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-Dong, Kangnam-ku, Seoul 135–710, 3 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, 4–12 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-729, South Korea

Correspondence: Young Jun Kim, md, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University College of Medicine, 4-12 Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 143-729, South Korea. E-mail: yjkim{at}kuh.ac.kr

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma that are invisible on both ultrasound and unenhanced CT. 73 patients with a total of 101 nodular hepatocellular carcinomas were referred for possible radiofrequency (RF) ablation. Of these, 14 lesions (14%) in 14 patients were invisible on both ultrasound and unenhanced CT. The invisible nodules averaged 1.2 cm in diameter (range, 0.8–2.0 cm; median, 1.1 cm). After segmental TACE, percutaneous RF ablation was performed if the index tumour was visible on fluoroscopy, ultrasound or CT. All cases of combined treatment were evaluated for size of ablative zone, complications, rate of technical effectiveness at 1-month follow-up CT and local tumour progression. After TACE, percutaneous RF ablation was technically feasible in 10 (71%) of the 14 nodules. RF ablation was performed with the guidance of fluoroscopy (n = 6, 42%), ultrasound (n = 2, 14%) or CT (n = 2, 14%). The mean diameter of the ablative zone by percutaneous RF ablation combined with TACE was 4.8±0.7 cm and 3.4±0.6 cm in the long and short axis, respectively. No major complications were documented. The primary technical effectiveness rate for nodules treated by combined treatment was 100% (10/10) at 1-month follow-up CT. No local tumour progression was found during the follow-up period (median 15 months; range 4–20 months). Percutaneous RF ablation combined with TACE is a feasible and effective technique for treating small hepatocellular carcinomas that are not visible on ultrasound or unenhanced CT.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
BJR DMFR IMAGING  ALL BIR JOURNALS 
Copyright © 2009 by the British Institute of Radiology.