title: Ultrastructural observation of liver tissue ablation induced by high-intensity focused ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the ultrastructural changes of liver tissues on normal rabbit ablated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A single shot of 1.1 MHz focused ultrasound at an intensity of 500 W/cm(2) with 20-s duration of continuous exposure was applied intraoperatively in normal rabbit livers. Ultrastructural changes of the sonoablated lesion, as viewed by light and electron microscopy, were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liver cells at the center of the sonoablated lesion showed irreversible degeneration immediately after HIFU treatment; electron microscopy showed that although the liver cells appeared normal histologically, irregularly shaped cavities of about 0.3-0.5 μm in diameter were present in the cytoplasm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thermal damages may be the main mechanism of HIFU-induced ablation of liver tissues besides cavitation effect.
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Shu-Qun Cheng, Xin-Da Zhou, Zhao-You Tang, Yao Yu, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Qian
keywords: Eletron microscopy; Liver/ultrastructure; Ultrasonic therapy