MRI-Guided Cryoablation of In-Transit Metastases from Cutaneous Melanoma: A Brief Report on a Preliminary Experience

Percutaneous Imaging-guided Cryoablation of Endometriosis Scars of the Anterior Abdominal Wall

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of percutaneous imaging-guided cryoablation for the management of anterior abdominal wall endometriosis.

DESIGN

Patients with abdominal wall endometriosis underwent percutaneous imaging-guided cryoablation and had a 6-month follow-up.

SETTING

Data dealing with patients' and anterior abdominal wall endometriosis (AAWE) characteristics, cryoablation, and clinical and radiologic outcomes were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

PATIENTS

Twenty-nine consecutive patients underwent cryoablation from June 2020 to September 2022.

INTERVENTIONS

Interventions were performed under US/computed tomography (CT) guidance or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. Cryoprobes were directly inserted into the AAWE, and cryoablation was performed with a single 5 to 10 minute freezing cycle, which was stopped when the iceball expanded 3 to 5 mm beyond AAWE borders as assessed on intra-procedural cross-sectional imaging.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Fifteen patients (15/29; 51.7%) had prior endometriosis, 28 (28/29; 95.5%) had previous cesarian section, and 22 (22/29; 75.9%) referred association between symptoms and menses. Cryoablation was performed under local (16/29; 55.2%) or general anesthesia (13/29; 44.8%) and mainly in an out-patient basis (18/20; 62%). There was only one (1/29; 3.5%) minor procedure-related complication. Complete symptom relief was recorded in 62.1% (18/29) and 72.4% (21/29) patients at 1 and 6 months, respectively. In the whole population, pain significantly dropped at 6 months compared to the baseline (1.1 ± 2.3; range 0-8 vs 7.1 ± 1.9; range 3-10; p <.05). Eight (8/29; 27.6%) patients presented residual symptoms at 6 months, and 4 (4/29; 13.8%) had an MRI-confirmed residual/recurring disease. Contrast-enhanced MRI obtained for the first 14 (14/29; 48.3%) patients of the series, all without signs of residual/recurring disease, demonstrated a significantly smaller ablation area compared to the baseline volume of the AAWE (1.0 cm3 ± 1.4; range 0-4.7; vs 11.1 ± 9.9 cm3; range 0.6-36.4; p <.05).

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous imaging-guided cryoablation of AAWE is safe and clinically effective in achieving pain relief.

Musculoskeletal interventional oncology: current and future practices

Management of musculoskeletal (MSK) tumours has traditionally been delivered by surgeons and medical oncologists. However, in recent years, image-guided interventional oncology (IO) has significantly impacted the clinical management of MSK tumours. With the rapid evolution of relevant technologies and the expanding range of clinical indications, it is likely that the impact of IO will significantly grow and further evolve in the near future.

In this narrative review, we describe well-established and new interventional technologies that are currently integrating into the IO armamentarium available to radiologists to treat MSK tumours and illustrate new emerging IO indications for treatment.

Percutaneous MR-Guided Cryoablation of Low-Flow Vascular Malformation: Technical Feasibility, Safety and Clinical Efficacy

PURPOSE

To retrospectively assess the technical feasibility, safety and clinical efficacy of percutaneous MR-guided cryoablation of low-flow vascular malformations (LFVM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between July 2013 and May 2019, 9 consecutive patients (5 male; 4 female; mean age 39.4 ± 15.3 years, range 15-68) underwent MR-guided cryoablation of LFVM. Patients were treated due to pain in all cases. Procedural data, complications and clinical results were analyzed.

RESULTS

Technical success defined as complete coverage of the LFVM by the iceball without involvement of nearby non-target thermal-sensitive structures was achieved in 9/9 (100%) cases. Mean procedure time was 122 ± 20 min (range 90-150); 2-6 cryoprobes (mean 3.7 ± 1.2) and 2-4 freezing cycles (mean freezing time 19.8 ± 11.8 min; range 4-40) were applied. No complications were noted. Mean time from the first treatment to the last follow-up was 548 days (range 30-1776). Persistent/recurring pain was noted in 3/9 cases (33%) 30, 133 and 639 days after cryoablation, respectively, and was related in all cases to MR-confirmed local residual/recurring disease. A second cryoablation treatment was performed in these 3 cases with complete pain control at the last available follow-up (153, 25, 91 days, respectively). In the whole population, at mean 161 days (range 25-413) after the last treatment, on the numerical pain rate scale, pain significantly dropped from mean 6.4 ± 2.1 (range 3-9/10) before CA to mean 0.3 ± 0.9 (range 0-3/10) after (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous MR-guided cryoablation is technically feasible, safe and effective for the treatment of symptomatic LFVM.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3b, retrospective cohort study.

Positive margins after surgical excision of locoregional cutaneous melanoma metastasis and their impact on patient outcome

For melanoma patients, surgery is a standard treatment for locoregional skin metastasis (LSM). To assess the frequency and risk factors for positive margins after excision of LSM and their impact on patient overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). A monocentric, retrospective observational study was performed including 87 patients with LSM who had undergone surgical excision. Positive margins were found in 45% of patients after excision. After additional excision, 28% of patients still had positive margins. Interestingly, there was no difference in PFS or OS for clear margins after the first or additional excision or for margins that remained positive without additional excision. LSM size was the only identified predictive factor for positive margins. This is the first reported study investigating the frequency of, and risk factors for positive margins of cutaneous LSM, which raises the question of whether additional excision should be performed following positive margin excision.

How to Perform a Routine Cryoablation Under MRI Guidance

In the last decade, the spectrum of interventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided procedures, including percutaneous ablation, has substantially grown, and among the available MRI-compatible ablative techniques, cryoablation is progressively gaining a predominant position.The aim of the present narrative review is to discuss the technical requirements necessary to perform a percutaneous MRI-guided cryoablation in a closed-bore machine; to highlight the relative advantages and drawbacks; and to briefly summarize the results available in the literature.

[Percutaneous renal ablation: Pre-, per-, post-interventional evaluation modalities and adapted management]

OBJECTIVES

Ablative treatment (AT) rise is foreseen, validation of steps to insure good proceedings is needed. By looking over the process of the patient, this study evaluates the requirements and choices needed in every step of the management.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE^®, Embase^®, using (MeSH) words and we looked for all the studies. Investigators graded the strength of evidence in terms of methodology, language and relevance.

RESULTS

Explanations of AT proposal rather than partial nephrectomy or surveillance have to be discussed in a consultation shared by urologist and interventional radiologist. Per-procedure choices depend on predictable ballistic difficulties. High volume, proximity of the hilum or of a risky organ are in favor of general anesthesia, cryotherapy and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI). Percutaneous approach should be privileged, as it seems as effective as the laparoscopic approach. Early and delayed complications have to be treated both by urologist and radiologist. Surveillance by CT/MRI insure of the lack of contrast-enhanced in the treated area. Patients and tumors criteria, in case of incomplete treatment or recurrence, are the key of the appropriate treatment: surgery, second session of AT, surveillance.

CONCLUSION

AT treatments require patient's comprehension, excellent coordination of the partnership between urologist and radiologist and relevant choices during intervention.