title: Microwave ablation of the adrenal gland: experimental study and clinical application.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the heating effect of microwave irradiation on the dog adrenal gland and to assess the clinical feasibility of microwave ablation of adrenal tumours.
  
  
  METHODS
  The thermal distribution and histology were evaluated after dog adrenal glands were irradiated at different intensities with microwaves. Irradiation at 70 W for 30 s was also performed after laparotomy, on the adrenal tumour of a patient with primary aldosteronism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microwave irradiation at 70 W for 30 s provided a sufficiently high temperature to produce coagulation within a 5 mm radius of the microwave electrode. The adrenal tumor in the patient with primary aldosteronism was coagulated successfully by this dose of microwave irradiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microwave ablation of the adrenal gland may be clinically applicable in the treatment of adrenal tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kigure
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujieda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakayama
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013696:Temperature