In vivo thermal ablation monitoring using ultrasound echo decorrelation imaging

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2014 Jan;40(1):102-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.09.007. Epub 2013 Nov 14.

Abstract

Previous work indicated that ultrasound echo decorrelation imaging can track and quantify changes in echo signals to predict thermal damage during in vitro radiofrequency ablation (RFA). In the in vivo studies reported here, the feasibility of using echo decorrelation imaging as a treatment monitoring tool was assessed. RFA was performed on normal swine liver (N = 5), and ultrasound ablation using image-ablate arrays was performed on rabbit liver implanted with VX2 tumors (N = 2). Echo decorrelation and integrated backscatter were computed from Hilbert transformed pulse-echo data acquired during RFA and ultrasound ablation treatments. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to assess the ability of echo decorrelation imaging and integrated backscatter to predict ablation. Area under the ROC curves (AUROC) was determined for RFA and ultrasound ablation using echo decorrelation imaging. Ablation was predicted more accurately using echo decorrelation imaging (AUROC = 0.832 and 0.776 for RFA and ultrasound ablation, respectively) than using integrated backscatter (AUROC = 0.734 and 0.494).

Keywords: Bulk ultrasound ablation; Echo decorrelation imaging; Radiofrequency ablation; Therapy monitoring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Hepatectomy / methods*
  • Hyperthermia, Induced / methods*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liver Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Rabbits
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Ultrasonography, Interventional / methods*