title: Contrast harmonic sonography-guided radiofrequency ablation therapy versus B-mode sonography in hepatocellular carcinoma: prospective randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of contrast harmonic sonographic guidance in radiofrequency ablation of locally progressive hepatocellular carcinoma poorly depicted with B-mode sonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 40 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with local tumor progression poorly depicted with B-mode sonography were randomly treated with radiofrequency ablation guided by either contrast harmonic sonography (n = 20) or conventional B-mode sonography (n = 20). Unpaired Student's t tests were performed to compare numbers of treatment sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment analysis showed that the complete ablation rate after a single treatment session was significantly higher in the contrast harmonic sonography group than in the B-mode sonography group (94.7% vs 65.0%; p = 0.043) and that the number of treatment sessions was significantly lower in the contrast harmonic sonography group (mean, 1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.4 +/- 0.6; p =0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrast harmonic sonography-guided radiofrequency ablation is an efficient technique for guiding further ablation of local tumor progression not clearly demarcated with B-mode sonography.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayma, Osaka 589-8511, Japan. minkun@med.kindai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Hobyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Yukinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yagyu
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimono
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiozaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media