Clinical evaluation of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of splenic tumors / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) of splenic tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seven patients with 8 pathologically confirmed splenic tumors (including 2 metastases from the ovary and 4 from the lung, gastric adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, or rectal carcinoma; 1 hemangioma and 1 inflammatory pseudotumor) with sizes ranging from 1.3 to 6.2 cm (mean 3.1 ± 1.9 cm) were treated with MWA. A cooled shaft needle antenna was percutaneously inserted into the tumor under ultrasound guidance. A thermocouple was placed about 0.5 cm away from the tumor to monitor the temperature in real time during the ablation. The microwave emitting power was set at 50-60 W. The treatment efficacy was assessed by contrast-enhanced imaging at 1, 3 and 6 months following the procedure, and every 6 months thereafter.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the tumors were completely ablated in a single session and no complications occurred. No local tumor progression was observed during a median follow up time of 13 months (4 to 92 months). The ablation zone, well defined on contrast-enhanced imaging, was gradually reduced with time. A new metastatic lesion was detected in the spleen at 11 months after the ablation in a ovarian carcinoma patient and was successfully treated by a second MWA. The post-ablation survival of the patients with splenic metastasis was 13 months (range 4 to 92 months). No complications other than fever and abdominal pain were observed in these patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ultrasound-guided percutaneous MWA is a safe and effective minimally-invasive technique for treatment of splenic tumors in selected patients.</p>