Fusion imaging system enables ablation of liver tumors undetectable at US

Sunday, November 28 | 11:05 a.m.-11:15 a.m. | SSA24-03 | Room E350
A real-time fusion imaging system that combines ultrasound with CT or MRI allows liver tumors to be targeted and ablated that otherwise would not have been detected on ultrasound, according to this study to be presented on Sunday.

Luigi Solbiati, MD, and colleagues from the General Hospital of Busto Arsizio in Italy used the novel fusion imaging system on 334 patients with 884 focal liver tumors (544 hepatocellular carcinomas and 340 metastases). All patients underwent percutaneous radiofrequency or microwave ablation guided by a novel image fusion system (Esaote, Genoa, Italy) that combines real-time ultrasound with fusion to CT or MRI images using magnetic field tracking and computer reconstruction of the targeting path.

At follow-up imaging 24 hours after the procedure, 140 of the 153 (91.5%) malignancies were completely ablated; four (2.6%) were partially ablated and nine targets (5.9%) were completely missed by the system, but retreatment was performed in many cases of partial ablation. At eight-month follow-up, recurrence was seen in 19% of cases, for an overall efficacy of 91.5% per tumor and 86.6% per patient, Solbiati will report. The processing time is about seven to 15 minutes per case, Solbiati told AuntMinnie.com.

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