Experimental and clinical radiofrequency ablation: proposal for standardized description of coagulation size and geometry.
BACKGROUND
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is used to obtain local control of unresectable tumors in liver, kidney, prostate, and other organs. Accurate data on expected size and geometry of coagulation zones are essential for physicians to prevent collateral damage and local tumor recurrence. The aim of this study was to develop a standardized terminology to describe the size and geometry of these zones for experimental and clinical RF.


METHODS
In a first step, the essential geometric parameters to accurately describe the coagulation zones and the spatial relationship between the coagulation zones and the electrodes were defined. In a second step, standard terms were assigned to each parameter.


RESULTS
The proposed terms for single-electrode RF ablation include axial diameter, front margin, coagulation center, maximal and minimal radius, maximal and minimal transverse diameter, ellipticity index, and regularity index. In addition a subjective description of the general shape and regularity is recommended.


CONCLUSIONS
Adoption of the proposed standardized description method may help to fill in the many gaps in our current knowledge of the size and geometry of RF coagulation zones.
Mulier
Stefaan
S
Department of Radiology, Gasthuisberg University Hospital, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Ni
Yicheng
Y
Frich
Lars
L
Burdio
Fernando
F
Denys
Alban L
AL
De Wispelaere
Jean-François
JF
Dupas
Benoît
B
Habib
Nagy
N
Hoey
Michael
M
Jansen
Maarten C
MC
Lacrosse
Marc
M
Leveillee
Raymond
R
Miao
Yi
Y
Mulier
Peter
P
Mutter
Didier
D
Ng
Kelvin K
KK
Santambrogio
Roberto
R
Stippel
Dirk
D
Tamaki
Katsuyoshi
K
van Gulik
Thomas M
TM
Marchal
Guy
G
Michel
Luc
L
D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000592:standards*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*