Angiographic manifestations of hepatocarcinoma after radiofrequency ablation treatment

Background and purpose:Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was one of the best combined treatments for hepatocarcinoma. CT was commonly used to evaluate treatment response and recurrent disease. However it was diffi cult to evaluate treatment effectiveness of RFA and to detect recurrent nodule especially the size below 1cm. Digital subtraction arteriography(DSA) may provide fi nal diagnosis of recurrent nodule after RFA for hepatocarcinoma. Our purpose was to analyze the signs of DSA after RFA for hepatocarcinoma in order to provide possible reference for treatment effectiveness and the imaging follow-up methods. Methods:17 patients with primary liver cancer (n=15) or hepatic metastasis(n=2) were enrolled in this study. Common hepatic arteriography or super-selective angiography of suspicious tumor area were performed on all patients. Results:On DSA, most ablated regions presented as round or ovoid low density areas with no stain. At the peripheral zone of the lesion, fi ve signs after RFA could be found: Stain of localized granulation tissue, arterio-portal fi stula, hemorrhage, recurrence and no abnormal fi ndings. Local or intrahepatic recurrence occurred in 9 cases. Conclusion:Hepatic DSA has great value in detecting local recurrence of hepatic tumor after RFA treatment. DSA is superior to CT in detecting marginal or intrahepatic recurrent nodule below 1 cm.