Intrahepatic regional portal blood flow modulation using percutaneous US-monitoring portal vein compression during radiofrequency thermal ablation.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Hyunchul Rhim.
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In a 36-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1, rare colonic involvement of plexiform neurofibroma is presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by operation. Radiologic findings consisted of marked concentric thickening of the colonic wall with variable attenuation, namely, a "multilayer appearance," as well as clusters of multiple soft tissue nodules in the mesentery.
We report two cases of unusual combined extrapelvic and extraperitoneal extension of recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma and describe the imaging findings of the preferential anatomic pathway of disease spread. Extrapelvic and extraperitoneal extension of recurrent gastric adenocarcinoma is rare, and its symptoms may be vague and nonspecific. If patients with a surgical history of gastrointestinal neoplasm present with diffuse abdominal pain or painful swelling of the lower extremities, disease spread to the extrapelvic and extraperitoneal spaces should be suspected.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the positive predictive value of contrast-enhanced multiphase computed tomography (CT) in determining the completeness of treatment, after radiofrequency (RF) ablation and/or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, based on histopathologic correlation in the explanted liver specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a recent 10-year period, 84 consecutive patients who had a history of RF ablation and/or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) underwent liver transplantation in our institution. Among them, we selected the patients in whom complete treatment had been considered at periodic follow-up CT (29 tumors in 20 patients, M:F = 18:2, mean age, 47.2 years). The mean size of the tumor at the initial CT was 2.2 cm (range, 0.7-3.6 cm). We investigated the necrosis rate of HCC on the basis of microscopic examinations of the explanted liver specimen and calculated the positive predictive value of CT in determining the completeness of treatment. RESULTS: The last CT examinations had been obtained 1-37 days before surgery. The overall necrosis rate of HCC for both RF ablation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on microscopic examination was 92.9% +/- 12.3%. The positive predictive value of contrast-enhanced CT in determining completeness of treatment was 69.0% (20/29). The tumor necrosis rate for the RF ablation-only group (n = 12) was 91.5% +/- 15.2% with a positive predictive value of 58.3% (7/12) and that of the transcatheter arterial chemoembolization-only group (n = 11) was 91.4% +/- 19.2% with a positive predictive value of 72.7% (8/11). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that contrast-enhanced CT is limited in accurately determining the completeness of treatment after image-guided tumor ablation for HCC.
Although radio-frequency (RF) ablation has been accepted as a promising and safe technique for treatment of unresectable hepatic tumors, investigation of its complications has been limited. According to the multicenter (1,139 patients in 11 institutions) survey data of the Korean Study Group of Radiofrequency Ablation, a spectrum of complications occurred after RF ablation of hepatic tumors. The prevalence of major complications was 2.43%. The most common complications were hepatic abscess (0.66%), peritoneal hemorrhage (0.46%), biloma (0.20%), ground pad burn (0.20%), pneumothorax (0.20%), and vasovagal reflex (0.13%). Other complications were biliary stricture, diaphragmatic injury, gastric ulcer, hemothorax, hepatic failure, hepatic infarction, renal infarction, sepsis, and transient ischemic attack. One procedure-related death (0.09%) occurred (due to peritoneal hemorrhage). Three important strategies for decreasing the rate of complications are prevention, early detection, and proper management. A physician who performs RF ablation of hepatic malignancies should be aware of the broad spectrum of major complications so that these strategies can be used.
Radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation has shown promise as a technique for treating inoperable solid tumors involving the liver, kidney, adrenal gland, and lung. However, like all other imaging-guided interventional procedures, RF ablation involves some element of risk. Varying degrees of complications can be expected, depending on factors such as the organ site and the aggressiveness of the procedure. General complications of RF ablation may be related to either imaging-guided electrode placement (eg, bleeding, infection, tumor seeding, pneumothorax) or thermal therapy (eg, nontarget thermal damage, grounding pad burns). Liver and renal-adrenal ablation may be associated with organ-specific complications. A fundamental understanding of RF ablation principles, along with adequate operator training and experience and familiarity with both thermal ablation and the broad spectrum of postablation complications, are necessary to maximize the safety and efficacy of this procedure. The standard of care for decreasing the morbidity of complications consists of prevention (including careful patient selection), early detection, and prompt, appropriate treatment.