title: Comparison of intraprostatic ethanol diffusion using a microporous hollow fiber catheter versus a standard needle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transurethral intraprostatic ethanol chemoablation of the prostate has shown promising preliminary clinical results for benign prostatic hyperplasia with some variability in clinical outcome. This is likely due to the uneven prostate diffusion caused by varying resistance of the tissue type in which the tip of the needle is embedded. We examined whether the distribution of the injectable in the canine prostate could be improved using a microporous hollow fiber catheter (Twin Star Medical, Minneapolis, Minnesota).
  
  
  METHODS
  The prostate was exposed in 9 mongrel dogs. A single injection of 98% ethanol was delivered in each lobe using a microporous hollow fiber catheter and a standard needle. Prostates were harvested and fixed in 10% formalin. After injection 2.5 mm step sections were obtained and scanned. The ethanol induced tissue lesions were traced on hematoxylin and eosin sections. Three-dimensional reconstructions were created and the volume of each prostate lesion was calculated using stereology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ethanol induced tissue changes were seen bilaterally in 8 of 9 ethanol injected prostates. In all cases the lesion created by microporous hollow fiber catheter injection was larger than that in the contralateral lobe injected with the control needle. When data were pooled, the hollow fiber catheter injection produced significantly greater tissue changes than the control needle injection (p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improved distribution and absent backflow were seen when using the microporous hollow fiber catheter, supporting its potential as a new method to treat prostate disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Mark K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: Travis K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Mann-Gow
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Odland
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zvara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D057785:Catheters; D004285:Dogs; D004867:Equipment Design; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012997:Solvents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol