The methods of monitoring the thermal ablation of tumor are compared and analyzed in recent years. The principle method results and insufficient of ultrasound elastography and quantitative ultrasound imaging are discussed. The results show that ultrasonic tissue signature has great development space in the field of real-time monitoring of thermal ablation, but there are still some problems such as insufficient monitoring accuracy difficulty in whole-course monitoring and insufficient
Catheter Ablation ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Humans ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; Liver/surgery* ; Neoplasms/surgery* ; Ultrasonography

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 2% to 3% of human cancers and is aggressive, with metastatic capability. The frequent metastatic sites are lung, bone, and liver. Reports of RCC metastatic to skin, and especially scalp are rare. Here we present an 83-year-old woman who was diagnosed with RCC 19 years prior and had a metastatic scalp lesion. An 83-year-old woman presented with a red-to-purple, protruding lesion at the right parietotemporal area. Twenty-three years ago, a right renal mass was incidentally discovered on ultrasound through a routine medical examination. She underwent right nephrectomy for RCC 4 years later. Five months after nephrectomy, new lung nodules were observed. Fifteen years after nephrectomy, metastatic lesions were found in the pelvic bone. She visited dermatology department for evaluation of the new scalp lesion, a year before she first visited our department. Despite chemotherapy, the mass was gradually enlarged. She consulted the plastic surgery department for management of the metastatic RCC was successfully treated with total excision including a 1-cm safety margin, local flap, and STSG coverage. Complete healing was observed, without evidence of recurrence during a 7-month follow-up. Metastases to the skin are rare, but must be kept in mind because of its high metastatic ability and poor prognosis.
Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Dermatology ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Pelvic Bones ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Scalp ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Surgery, Plastic ; Ultrasonography

Local ablation therapy is considered as a conventional treatment option for patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although radiofrequency (RF) ablation is widely used for HCC, the use of cryoablation has been increasing as newer and safer cryoablation systems have developed. The thermodynamic mechanism of freezing and thawing used in cryoablation is the Joule-Thomson effect. Cryoablation destroys tissue via direct tissue destruction and vascular-related injury. A few recent comparative studies have shown that percutaneous cryoablation for HCCs is comparable to percutaneous RF ablation in terms of long term therapeutic outcomes and complications. Cryoablation has several advantages over RF ablation such as well visualization of iceball, no causation of severe pain, and lack of severe damage to great vessels and gallbladder. It is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of cryoablation compared with RF ablation for improvement of therapeutic efficacy and safety.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnostic imaging/*surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; *Cryosurgery ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging/*surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

Iodine-131 is a radioisotope that is routinely used for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer after total or near-total thyroidectomy. However, there is some evidence that iodine-131 can induce liver injury . Here we report a rare case of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by iodine-131 in a patient with regional lymph node metastasis after total thyroidectomy. A 47-year-old woman was admitted with elevated liver enzymes and symptoms of general weakness and nausea. Ten weeks earlier she had undergone a total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma and had subsequently been prescribed levothyroxine to reduce the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Eight weeks after surgery she underwent iodine-131 ablative therapy at a dose of 100 millicuries, and subsequently presented with acute hepatitis after 10 days. To rule out all possible causative factors, abdominal ultrasonography, endoscopic ultrasonography (on the biliary tree and gall bladder), and a liver biopsy were performed. DILI caused by iodine-131 was suspected. Oral prednisolone was started at 30 mg/day, to which the patient responded well.
Abdomen/diagnostic imaging ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes/chemistry ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Thyroid Neoplasms/drug therapy/surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyroxine/therapeutic use ; Ultrasonography

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation has become one of the most promising local cancer therapies for both resectable and nonresectable hepatic tumors. Although RF ablation is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of liver tumors, the outcome of treatment can be closely related to the location and shape of the tumors. There may be difficulties with RF ablation of tumors that are adjacent to large vessels or extrahepatic heat-vulnerable organs and tumors in the caudate lobe, possibly resulting in major complications or treatment failure. Thus, a number of strategies have been developed to overcome these challenges, which include artificial ascites, needle track ablation, fusion imaging guidance, parallel targeting, bypass targeting, etc. Operators need to use the right strategy in the right situation to avoid the possibility of complications and incomplete thermal tissue destruction; with the right strategy, RF ablation can be performed successfully, even for hepatic tumors in high-risk locations. This article offers technical strategies that can be used to effectively perform RF ablation as well as to minimize possible complications related to the procedure with representative cases and schematic illustrations.
Ascites ; Bile Duct Diseases/etiology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation/adverse effects ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Neoplasm, Residual/etiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate sequential changes in laboratory markers after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the relationship of these changes to the severity of the underlying liver disease. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 65 patients (44 males, 21 females) who underwent RFA of HCC. Hematologic and biochemical markers were assessed at the pre-RFA period and 1 day, 2-3 days, and 1-2 weeks after RFA. We classified the subjects into two groups: Child-Pugh A (n=41) and Child-Pugh B (n=24). The ablative margin volume (AMV) of each patient was measured. We analyzed the changes in laboratory profiles from the baseline, and investigated whether these laboratory changes were correlated with the AMV and the Child-Pugh classification. RESULTS: Most of the laboratory values peaked at 2-3 days after RFA. AMV was significantly correlated with changes in WBC count, hemoglobin level, and serum total bilirubin level (Pearson's correlation coefficient, 0.324-0.453; P<0.05). The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level varied significantly over time (P=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the measured laboratory markers changed from baseline, peaking at 2-3 days. The ALT level was the only parameter for which there was a significant difference after RFA between Child-Pugh A and B patients: it increased significantly more in the Child-Pugh A patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Bilirubin/blood ; Biomarkers/metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo explore the value of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in designing the indication, treatment protocol and operational skills for patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) near the liver surface.

METHODSSixty-one HCC patients with 69 lesions, confirmed by clinical examination and pathology, underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. The study included 40 cases of liver function Child-Pugh grade A and 21 cases of grade B. The average size of tumors was (3.8 ± 1.2) cm, tumor diameter ≥ 4 cm accounted for 39.1% (27/69 lesions), and the average age was 58.2 years (range, 35-76 years). Taking comprehensive measures, such as intraperitoneal injection of saline adjacent to the tumor before RFA, increasing the puncture sites on the surface of tumor to avoid overlapping of the central portion of tumor, repeated ablation of the needle track to reduce needle tract metastasis, avoid vertical puncture, and other additional measures, to improve the inactivation of tumors adjacent to the liver surface. Enhanced CT/MRI was performed to evaluate the curative effect at 1, 3, 6 and 24 months after the treatment.

RESULTSThe inactivation rate of tumor was 98.6% (68/69 lesions) and local recurrence rate was 5.8%(4/69) after RFA. The tumor-related marker AFP was 1 000-1 500 ng/ml before and reduced to (98.5 ± 42.5) ng/ml after radiofrequency ablation, among them returned to normal in 13 cases (21.3%). Since the ablation area was rather small, the level of serum alanine aminotransferase was elevated only to (148.5 ± 38.5) U/ml at one week after RFA and returned to normal at (1.8 ± 0.6) week after RFA. No patient experienced severe liver dysfunction. The local HCC recurrent rate after RFA was 5.8%(4/69 lesions) and intrahepatic heterotopic recurrence rate was 24.6% (15/61). The 20-61 months follow-up showed that the 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rate was 83.6%, 57.3% and 44.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSUltrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation provides an effective minimally invasive treatment for primary HCC near the liver surface. Taking some additional measures such as intraperitoneal injection of saline, increase of percutaneous puncture sites, and avoiding vertical needle puncture, may reduce complications and improve the therapeutic outcome. RFA is one of effective and minimally invasive treatment and causing less liver damage for primary HCC near the liver surface.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Burden ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

We report in a 65-year-old man hepatocellular carcinoma adjacent to a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt stent-graft which was successfully treated with irreversible electroporation (IRE). IRE is a new non-thermal tissue ablation technique which uses electrical pulses to induce cell necrosis by irreversible membrane poration. IRE proved to be more advantageous in the ablation of perivascular tumor with little injury to the surrounding structures.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis/*surgery ; Electroporation/*methods ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/*surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; *Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic ; *Stents ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pretreatment evaluation with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is effective for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with poor conspicuity on conventional ultrasonography (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and informed consent was waived. From June 2008 to July 2011, 82 patients having HCCs (1.2 +/- 0.4 cm) with poor conspicuity on planning US for RFA were evaluated with CEUS prior to percutaneous RFA. We analyzed our database, radiologic reports, and US images in order to determine whether the location of HCC candidates on planning US coincide with that on CEUS. To avoid incomplete ablation, percutaneous RFA was performed only when HCC nodules were identified on CEUS. The rate of technical success was assessed. The cumulative rate of local tumor progression was estimated with the use of the Kaplan-Meier method (mean follow-up: 24.0 +/- 13.0 months). RESULTS: Among 82 patients, 73 (89%) HCCs were identified on CEUS, whereas 9 (11%) were not. Of 73 identifiable HCCs on CEUS, the location of HCC on planning US corresponded with that on CEUS in 64 (87.7%), whereas the location did not correspond in 9 (12.3%) HCCs. Technical success was achieved for all 73 identifiable HCCs on CEUS in a single (n = 72) or two (n = 1) RFA sessions. Cumulative rates of local tumor progression were estimated as 1.9% and 15.4% at 1 and 3 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment evaluation with CEUS is effective for percutaneous RFA of HCCs with poor conspicuity on conventional US.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation/*methods ; Contrast Media/*diagnostic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Preoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To assess the technical feasibility and local efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for an intermediate-sized (3-5 cm in diameter) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) under the dual guidance of biplane fluoroscopy and ultrasonography (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with intermediate-sized HCCs were treated with percutaneous RFA combined with TACE. RFA was performed under the dual guidance of biplane fluoroscopy and US within 14 days after TACE. We evaluated the rate of major complications on immediate post-RFA CT images. Primary technique effectiveness rate was determined on one month follow-up CT images. The cumulative rate of local tumor progression was estimated with the use of Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Twenty-one consecutive patients with 21 HCCs (mean size: 3.6 cm; range: 3-4.5 cm) were included. After TACE (mean: 6.7 d; range: 1-14 d), 20 (95.2%) of 21 HCCs were visible on fluoroscopy and were ablated under dual guidance of biplane fluoroscopy and US. The other HCC that was poorly visible by fluoroscopy was ablated under US guidance alone. Major complications were observed in only one patient (pneumothorax). Primary technique effectiveness was achieved for all 21 HCCs in a single RFA session. Cumulative rates of local tumor progression were estimated as 9.5% and 19.0% at one and three years, respectively. CONCLUSION: RFA combined with TACE under dual guidance of biplane fluoroscopy and US is technically feasible and effective for intermediate-sized HCC treatment.
Aged ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*drug therapy/radiography/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation/*methods ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease Progression ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Ethiodized Oil/administration & dosage ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*drug therapy/radiography/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; *Radiography, Interventional ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional