title: Experimental and clinical radiofrequency ablation: proposal for standardized description of coagulation size and geometry.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gasthuisberg University Hospital, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mulier
authors.forename: Yicheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frich
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burdio
authors.forename: Alban L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Denys
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: De Wispelaere
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dupas
authors.forename: Nagy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoey
authors.forename: Maarten C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacrosse
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leveillee
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mulier
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mutter
authors.forename: Kelvin K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santambrogio
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stippel
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: van Gulik
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: 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*