• Jeong Min Lee, Sang Won Kim, Chun Ai Li, Ji Hyun Youk, Young Kon Kim, Zhewu Jin, Myoung Ja Chung, and Mi Suk Lee.
• Department of Radiology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Korea. jmlshy@naver.com
• Korean J Radiol. 2002 Oct 1; 3 (4): 245-53.

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and safety of CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with saline infusion of pulmonary tissue in rabbits.Materials And MethodsTwenty-eight New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two groups: an RFA group (n=10) and a saline-enhanced RFA (SRFA) group (n=18). In the RFA group, percutaneous RFA of the lung was performed under CT guidance and using a 17-gauge internally cooled electrode. In the SRFA group, 1.5 ml of 0.9% saline was infused slowly through a 21-gauge, polyteflon- coated Chiba needle prior to and during RFA. Lesion size and the healing process were studied in rabbits sacrificed at times from the day following treatment to three weeks after, and any complications were noted.ResultsIn the SRFA group, the mean diameter (12.5+/-1.6 mm) of acute RF lesions was greater than that of RFA lesions (8.5+/-1.4 mm) (p < .05). The complications arising in 12 cases were pneumothorax (n=8), thermal injury to the chest wall (n=2), hemothorax (n=1), and lung abscess (n=1). Although procedure-related complications tended to occur more frequently in the SRFA group (55.6%) than in the RFA group (20%), the difference was not statistically significant (p = .11).ConclusionSaline-enhanced RFA of pulmonary tissue in rabbits produces more extensive coagulation necrosis than conventional RFA procedures, without adding substantial risk of serious complications.

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