Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for ablation of hepatic tumors.
BACKGROUND
The most significant rise in the use of hepatic ablation has come from image-guided techniques with both computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US). The recent development of open-configuration magnetic resonance scanners has opened up an entire new area of image-guided surgical and interventional procedures. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of intraoperative MRI (iMRI) ablation of hepatic tumors performed by surgeons.


METHODS
Percutaneous iMRI hepatic ablation was performed from January 2003 to February 2005 for control of either primary or secondary hepatic disease.


RESULTS
Eighteen hepatic ablations were performed on 11 patients with a median age of 71 (range: 51-81) years for metastatic colorectal cancer (n = 6), hepatocellular cancer (n = 2), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 2), and metastatic neuroendocrine (n = 1). Median hospital stay was 1 day, with complications occurring in 2 patients. After a median follow up of 18 months, there have been no local ablation recurrences, 5 patients are free of disease, 4 are alive with disease, 1 has died of disease, and 1 has died of other causes.


CONCLUSIONS
Image-guided hepatic ablations represent a useful technique in managing hepatic tumors. Intraoperative MRI represents a new technique with initial success that has been limited to European centers. Further evaluation in U.S. centers has demonstrated iMRI to be useful for certain hepatic tumors that cannot be adequately visualized by US or CT.
Martin
R C G
RC
Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Center for Advanced Surgical Technologies (CAST) of Norton Hospital, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA.
Husheck
S
S
Scoggins
C R
CR
McMasters
K M
KM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged