title: In vivo guidance and assessment of liver radio-frequency ablation with acoustic radiation force elastography.
abstract: The initial results from clinical trials investigating the utility of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for use with radio-frequency ablation (RFA) procedures in the liver are presented. To date, data have been collected from 6 RFA procedures in 5 unique patients. Large displacement contrast was observed in ARFI images of both pre-ablation malignancies (mean 7.5 dB, range 5.7-11.9 dB) and post-ablation thermal lesions (mean 6.2 dB, range 5.1-7.5 dB). In general, ARFI images provided superior boundary definition of structures relative to the use of conventional sonography alone. Although further investigations are required, initial results are encouraging and demonstrate the clinical promise of the ARFI method for use in many stages of RFA procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA. bfahey04@gmail.com
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.forename: Rendon C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bradway
authors.forename: Douglas M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Gregg E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Trahey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*