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Enhanced Ablation of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound with Microbubbles: An Experimental Study on Rabbit Hepatic VX2 Tumors

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed to assess the enhanced effect of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation with microbubbles on rabbit hepatic VX2 tumors and to compare the detection sensitivity of CEUS and CECT to determine the residual viable tissue after ablation of HIFU.

Methods

Forty rabbits with hepatic VX2 tumors were randomly separated into two groups (20 animals per group) before HIFU ablation. A bolus of 0.2 mL of saline or a microbubble-based ultrasound (US) contrast agent was injected intravenously to group I rabbits and group II rabbits, respectively. The HIFU ablation procedure was started 15 s after the injection. Tumors were examined with grayscale contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) immediately before and after HIFU ablation. Histopathologic assessment was performed immediately after treatment imaging.

Results

Before ablation, intense contrast enhancement during arterial phase was observed at the whole tumors or the periphery of the tumors by CEUS and CECT. Lower HIFU energy was used in group II than in group I (P < 0.001). Histopathologic assessment revealed local residual viable tumor tissues due to incomplete ablation in 47.4% (9/19) of tumors in group I and 10% (2/20) of tumors in group II (P < 0.05). The concordance rate of CEUS (90.9%) with histopathology on residual tumor detection was higher than that of CECT (27.3%, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Introduction of the microbubble agent enhances HIFU therapeutic efficacy. CEUS proves to have high sensitivity in assessment of residual viable rabbit VX2 tumor after HIFU.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China

    Wei He, Wei Wang, Ping Zhou, Peng Zhou & Rui-Zhen Li

  2. Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China

    Yi-Xiang J. Wang & Anil T. Ahuja

  3. Department of Pathology, The Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China

    Jin-Sheng Wang

Authors
  1. Wei He
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  2. Wei Wang
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  3. Ping Zhou
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  4. Yi-Xiang J. Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Wang.

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He, W., Wang, W., Zhou, P. et al. Enhanced Ablation of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound with Microbubbles: An Experimental Study on Rabbit Hepatic VX2 Tumors. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 34, 1050–1057 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-010-0052-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-010-0052-3

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