Contrast harmonic sonography-guided radiofrequency ablation therapy versus B-mode sonography in hepatocellular carcinoma: prospective randomized controlled trial.
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.
Minami
Yasunori
Y
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
Kudo
Masatoshi
M
Chung
Hobyung
H
Kawasaki
Toshihiko
T
Yagyu
Yukinobu
Y
Shimono
Taro
T
Shiozaki
Hitoshi
H
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
D003287:Contrast Media