REAL-TIME EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MICROWAVE COAGULATION THERAPY FOR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA USING COLOR DOPPLER IMAGING

Percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) is a new technique f or the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is dif ficult to distinguish those lesions in which necrosis has been induced from the viable residual lesions during the procedure, because the ma rgin of the tumor becomes unclear during PMCT. We determined the area of necrotic lesions during the procedure using color Doppler imaging. PMCT was performed on 10 patients (17 lesions) with recurrent HCC. The electrode of the microwave delivery system was moved around the tumor and the surrounding area until color mosaic images disappeared from t he entire area of the tumor. The areas in which necrotic tissue was in dicated by color Doppler imaging were later confirmed by other modalit ies such as angiography or contrast-enhanced computed tomography. This leads us to believe that real-time, effective evaluation of PMCT is p ossible with color Doppler imaging.