MRI-guided radiofrequency thermal ablation of implanted VX2 liver tumors in a rabbit model: demonstration of feasibility at 0.2 T

Magn Reson Med. 1999 Jul;42(1):141-9. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1522-2594(199907)42:1<141::aid-mrm19>3.0.co;2-i.

Abstract

Successful radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation was performed on VX2 tumors implanted in 23 rabbit livers under magnetic resonance (MR) guidance using a C-arm-shaped low-field 0.2 T system. RF application and immediate postprocedure MRI of all animals was performed [T2-weighted, turbo short tau inversion recovery (STIR), T1-weighted before and after gadopentetate dimeglumine administration). Follow-up MRI with a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) contrast medium was performed in nine rabbits at 2 weeks and in four rabbits at 1 month post RF ablation. All livers were harvested for pathologic examination. T2-weighted and turbo-STIR images demonstrated the highest tumor-to-RF-thermal lesion contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs; means 4.5 and 3.8, respectively) on postprocedure images; this was redemonstrated at 2- and 4-week follow-up imaging. T2-weighted imaging never overestimated pathologic lesion size by more than 2 mm, and the radiologic-pathologic correlation coefficient was not less than 0.90. In conclusion, MRI-guided RF thermal ablation in implanted liver tumor is feasible using a C-arm-shaped low-field 0.2 T system. The thermal lesion size can be most accurately monitored with T2-weighted and turbo-STIR images.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Contrast Media
  • Equipment Design
  • Gadolinium DTPA
  • Hyperthermia, Induced / instrumentation*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / therapy*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / instrumentation*
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Rabbits

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gadolinium DTPA