title: Linear enhancement after radio-frequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: is it a sign of recurrence?
abstract: This prospective study was performed in 179 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions treated by radio-frequency ablation (RFA) to explore the clinical outcome of "linear enhancement" on contrast-enhanced sonogram. Thirty-three lesions (18.4%) showed linear enhancement, a linear-shaped positive enhancement in the RFA-treated area. Seventeen of them were followed up with no treatment (remaining 16; dropout in eight, additional RFA in six and ineffective treatment in two) and three lesions (3/17, 17.6%) showed local tumor progression corresponding to linear enhancement at 7, 14, 19 months after RFA. Although there was no significant difference in local recurrence rate between the lesions with (3/17) and without linear enhancement (10/35), local tumor progression inside the ablation zone occurred only in the lesions with linear enhancement. In conclusion, linear enhancement inside the RFA-treated area should be followed up within 7 months because it has a risk of local tumor progression. Histology of linear enhancement and its influence on distant recurrence remain to be solved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamezaki
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010743:Phospholipids; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride