title: Complications of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation of primary and secondary lesions of the liver.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with the liver being the second most frequently involved organ in metastatic disease. Although the gold standard treatment for malignant liver disease is surgical resection, only few patients can undergo such an intervention. This explains the current great interest in various loco-regional therapies, of which radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) is the most common. To date, only a few studies have evaluated the complications associated with this treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of complications, divided into major and minor, in patients treated with RFA. A total of 373 hepatic lesions in 250 patients were treated with 292 sessions of percutaneous ultrasound-guided RFA. According to our data, ten patients (4%) had major, complications, twelve patients (4.8%) had minor complications, no deaths occurred. Around 30% of patients had a body temperature increase of up to 38 'C. All complications, except one, were treated with nonsurgical therapies. One patient with massive hemoperitoneum required surgery. In conclusion, percutaneous RFA is a loco-regional therapy associated with a low incidence of side-effects and a negligible risk of death.
authors: U.O Oncologia II, IRCCS Fondazione S. Maugeri, Istituto Scientifico di Pavia, Pavia, Italy. gpoggi@fsm.it
authors: Guido
authors: G
authors: Poggi
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Riccardi
authors: Pietro
authors: P
authors: Quaretti
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Teragni
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Delmonte
authors: Alessio
authors: A
authors: Amatu
authors: Gaia
authors: G
authors: Saini
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Mazzucco
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Bernardo
authors: Raffaella
authors: R
authors: Palumbo
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Canto
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Bernieri
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Bernardo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged