Effect of Portal Vein and Hepatic Artery Occlusion on Radiofrequency Ablation: Animal Experiment Comparing MR and Histology Measurements of the Ablation Zones

Purpose This animal experimental study evaluated how hepatic artery and portal vein transient occlusion affects the ablation zone of hepatic radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Material and methods Twenty-one rabbits were divided into three groups of seven each: (1) control, (2) hepatic artery occlusion, and (3) portal vein occlusion by a balloon catheter. For each rabbit, two or three RFA sessions were performed using an electrode needle. Ablation time, temperature around the tip of RFA needle at the end of RFA, ablation volume on fat-suppressed T1-weighted image in the hepatobiliary phase, and coagulative necrosis area on histopathology were measured and compared between the three groups using the Kruskal–Wallis paired Mann–Whitney U tests. Results In 43 RFA sessions (group 1, 15; group 2, 14; group 3, 14), mean tissue temperature in group 3 (77.0 °C ± 7.7 °C) was significantly higher compared to groups 1 (59.2 °C ± 18.8 °C; P = 0.010) and 2 (67.5 °C ± 9.9 °C; P = 0.010). In addition, mean ablation volume and coagulative necrosis in group 3 (2.10 ± 1.37 mm 3 and 0.86 ± 0.28 mm 2 , respectively) were larger compared to groups 1 (0.84 ± 0.30 mm 3 ; P < 0.001 and 0.55 ± 0.26 mm 2 ; P = 0.020, respectively) and 2 (0.89 ± 0.59 mm 3 ; P = 0.002 and 0.60 ± 0.22 mm 2 ; P = 0.024, respectively). Conclusion Portal vein occlusion potentially boosts tissue temperature, ablation volume, and area of histopathologically proven coagulative necrosis during hepatic RFA in the non-cirrhotic liver.