Ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatic malignancy adjacent to the gallbladder

Abstract

Purpose: The study was performed to assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous microwave (MW) ablation for hepatic malignancy adjacent to the gallbladder.

Materials and methods: From January 2011 to December 2013, 49 patients with 51 hepatic tumours adjacent to the gallbladder who underwent US-guided percutaneous MW ablation were included in the study group. A total of 106 patients with 117 hepatic tumours not adjacent to the gallbladder who underwent US-guided percutaneous MW ablation were included in the control group. In the study group the temperature of marginal ablation tissue proximal to the gallbladder was monitored and controlled at 45-54 °C for 5-10 min during the ablation. Ethanol (4.5-13 mL) was injected into the marginal tissue in 27 of 51 tumours of the study group. We compared the results of ablation between the two groups.

Results: All patients were successfully treated. A total of 47 of 51 tumours in the study group (92.2%) and 110 of 117 tumours in the control group (94.0%) achieved complete ablation (p = 0.93). Local tumour progression was found in nine (17.6%) tumours in the study group and 15 (12.8%) tumours in the control group during follow-up after MW ablation (p = 0.41). No peri-procedural major complications occurred in either group.

Conclusions: Under strict temperature monitoring, US-guided percutaneous MW ablation assisted with ethanol injection appears to be safe and can achieve a high rate of complete ablation for the treatment of hepatic malignant tumours adjacent to the gallbladder.

Keywords: Complication; gallbladder; hepatic tumour; microwave ablation; ultrasound.